Burlington's Willis Graves Bed &Breakfast Inn Burlington (Covington area), Kentucky This award-winning inn offers luxurious accommodations and gourmet breakfasts, minutes from Cincinnati and nearby Covington. Contact Info | Email this page to a Friend | Check Room Availability  | Click to see a map  | Additional Pages... Introduction Guest Rooms/Rates Area Attractions About the Innkeepers Breakfast How to Find Us Our Favorite Recipes Reviews and Guest Comments   Availability Search: See which rooms are available during your stay. Check in: Check out: Powered by Webervations Clear search results Rooms Available from  to  Learn more about these rooms These are our base rates - certain discounts and/or charges may apply.

History of Burlington's Willis Graves Originally founded as Craigs Camp in 1799, the settlement was renamed Wilmington in 1800. Around 1816, it changed to Burlington and became the county seat of Boone County, Kentucky. Willis Graves was a prominent political figure in county government at the time, and served as county clerk during the new century's early decades. Sometime in the 1830s, he built an attractive federal brick home that featured Flemish bond brickwork and federal style mantels. This was the future home of Burlington's Willis Graves Bed & Breakfast Inn. Diamond in the Rough For many years, Cincinnatians Nancy and Bob Swartzel routinely passed the Willis Graves home, without a glance, on their way to the Burlington Antique Show at the Boone County Fairgrounds. By then, the house was sporting dirty, white siding and a hip roof over the front porch. One day a "For Sale" sign appeared in the yard and they took a closer look. In December of 1991, the Swartzels bought the property and began renovation under the direction of Master-carpenter Bob Brames. Brames and his wife Jean (who are Nancy's parents) worked with Nancy and Bob as they all poured sweat and determination into the project. In August 1995, the inn opened for business. It was declared a National Register of Historic Places Home on June 19, 1979.

Cabin Rescue About ten years after purchasing the Federal house, the Swartzels made another purchase - for $1 - to salvage a second historic landmark. This time it was an 1850s log cabin, originally owned by farmer William C. Rouse. The cabin sat squarely in the middle of a proposed runway at the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. It was wrapped in battered white siding and lined with layers of faded wallpaper. Nancy and Bob arranged to have the two hundred and sixteen poplar logs dismantled and hauled on flat bed trucks over four miles to their inn. After two years of reassembly and renovation, their log cabin getaway opened to guests in November 2004.

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Click-on these pages for more information:  | Introduction | Guest Rooms/Rates | Area Attractions | About the Innkeepers | Breakfast | How to Find Us | Our Favorite Recipes | Reviews and Guest Comments |

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