Country Inns: The Brick House

The Brick House welcomes guests to central Pennsylvania in gracious fashion.


Built on the town square in Aaronsburg, Pa., the c. 1810 Brick House Inn may originally have been designed as a government office building. Regardless of its previous incarnation, it remains true to its historical heritage, from the Federal-style exterior -- constructed with bricks hand-made on the property -- to the spacious interiors, rich with architectural embellishments.


Innkeepers Mary Vreeland and Ron Copenhaver transformed the structure's grand-scale rooms into a bed-and-breakfast and furnished the retreat with antiques, which Mary has collected for 35 years. The entry hall shown here provides a glimpse of the spacious accommodations, elegant furnishings, and architectural details to be found throughout the Brick House Inn.

Honeymoon Haven


The Bridal Suite offers a quiet elegance with its romantic color blend of rose and blue/grey, and repeating floral pattern in wallcoverings, draperies, upholstery, and bed dressings. The room features a selection of period furnishings, some old and some -- like the Italian corner cupboard -- reproductions. In addition to the drop-leaf writing surface with pen and ink set, the cabinet provides the perfect display for Staffordshire spaniels, a lusterware plate, and collectible tea cups. The oriental rug over wood-plank flooring anchors the room in both color and design.

Traditional Dining


In the dining room, off-white walls enhance a delicate stencil border hand painted by Mary's daughter, Susan Kinney. For additional accent, dining tables are covered with royal blue linens and surrounded by bow-back Windsor chairs. A framed sampler decorates the wall above the fireplace; the mantel itself is filled with a dried floral arrangement. Other accessories include miniature Staffordshire dogs on the windowsill and a straw bonnet, a cherished gift from Mary's Amish friend, Lizzie Zook.

Tableware: Potpourri porcelain china from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Collection by Wedgewood. Order through Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Custom flag: Sonessa Flags.

Fragrant Scents


An enclosed porch just off the kitchen serves as a drying room for flowers. The dried bouquets appear throughout the inn -- like those hung above the mantel in the adjacent room -- providing a lingering scent until seasonal blooms can once again be collected. The kitchen presents a traditional image, with its oversized hearth, wall-mounted cooking utensils, and cherrywood trestle table and Windsor chairs. Oriental rugs cover the floors in both the porch and kitchen areas.