The Blacksmith Inn

“Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Albert Zahn, who once carved birds in the blue house at the north end of Baileys Harbor, wrote to his nephew August Zahn that the village needed a blacksmith. August accepted the invitation and became the village blacksmith of Baileys Harbor, building his shop in 1904 and starting construction on the home that he was to complete in 1912.

Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the house has become The Blacksmith Inn, maintained by innkeepers Joan Holliday and Bryan Nelson; the blacksmith shop has been without a smithy for a few years now.

When August Zahn built his new house in Baileys Harbor he modeled it after the one he had left in Germany, even following the configuration of windows. For exterior walls he used stovewood construction; short lengths of tree limbs are mortared into cords, the ends remaining visible in the finished walls. The barn shaped structure in Germany accommodated the family in one half, and the farm animals in the other. Originally Zahn had planned to move his blacksmith shop into the “barn” portion of his new building, but ultimately changed his mind.

He raised his family in the house that he built in Baileys Harbor; his son Walter, who was born in the attic of the blacksmith shop, took over the home from his father and raised his family there, too.

In 1994 the Zahn family sold the property to entrepreneurs who began the necessary renovations for a bed and breakfast operation, but shortly after opening for business, they put the Blacksmith Inn up for sale. Holliday and Nelson bought it in 1996.

The couple’s journey to a life as innkeepers in Baileys Harbor covered nearly as many miles as that of August Zahn on his way to becoming the village blacksmith. During the 1980s Holliday was working at the White Gull in Fish Creek and Nelson for the then Anchor Marine in Sister Bay. Both were avid sailors; beginning with a daysailer they moved up to larger crafts as the decade progressed, ultimately owning a 31-foot sailboat.

In 1989 they quit their jobs, sailed out of Fish Creek to the North Channel of Lake Huron where they spent a summer, sailed down the East Coast to winter in the Bahamas, and were headed to the Mediterranean when they found that they had begun a family.

“Life has never been the same since we found out we were pregnant!” Holliday laughed, remembering. “And I wouldn’t change it for anything!”

They returned to Florida where their son Samuel was born. While they were living on the boat Nelson attended flight training school to earn his commercial pilot’s license. The family spent the next years in Cincinnati as Nelson flew corporate jets.

“We got the bug to move back to Door County to raise our son,” Holliday said, “and bought the inn.”

The Blacksmith Inn has now become a three-building complex. August Zahn’s original building is the Zahn House, offering seven rooms. In 2000 the couple built the Harbor House next door. The building is similar in style to the first and has eight guest rooms but is less rustic than the historic lodge.

All rooms in both facilities feature country antique furniture and reproduction beds (many of them four-posters), in-room whirlpools and private baths, gas fireplaces, and private balconies with a harbor view. During pleasant weather guests often choose to carry their breakfasts on trays to their balconies. Televisions and small refrigerators are concealed behind cupboard doors, in keeping with the traditional décor. Wingback chairs offer comfortable seating for reading.

Across the street the Orchard House, once a private home, is also available for rent. The four-bedroom house is situated on an acre of land with an orchard and gardens. Guests may rent only the downstairs or both floors, depending upon the number of bedrooms they require.

While guests admire the view from the lakefront inns, they delight in the gardens on the street side as well. Green Side Up maintains them for continuous blooms from the earliest spring bulbs to the latest mums, creating a Grandma’s Garden style appropriate for the age of the Zahn House.

The inns are open throughout the year offering cookies and popcorn and a DVD library. During the summer, kayaks and bikes are loaned, and during the winter, sleds and snowshoes, all at no charge.

“We hear over and over from guests that it is so comfortable here,” Holliday said, “but it’s who we are. Guests feel at-home and relaxed with the furnishings, the rustic quality of the buildings, the setting, and the staff. We tell them about our favorite spots to hike, to see the sunset, to catch live music, whatever people are after.”

While the architectural simplicity of the Zahn and Harbor Houses makes them blend into the landscape, travel writers have had no trouble finding The Blacksmith Inn, and they invariably like what they see. Last summer the National Geographic Traveler listed the inn as one of their favorite 129 hotels in the world. The inn will appear in the March 2010 issue of Midwest Living. Other publications that have featured the inn include Travel and Leisure, Coastal Living, Country Accents and the travel section of the Chicago Tribune.

A number of guests appreciate the “green” commitment of the Blacksmith Inn. The complex was part of a pilot Travel Green certification program in 2006, and subsequently follows a philosophy of buying locally, using organic cleaning products and fertilizers, utilizing recycled paper products, and pursuing a practice of recycling and composting.

“It’s a wonderful structure to grow under,” Holliday said. “They make suggestions and you get points for things you implement to improve your green score.”

In addition, Holliday and Nelson are members of the Door County Land Trust, the Door County Green Fund, and The Ridges Sanctuary.

The sailing trip to the Mediterranean that was diverted, ultimately bringing them back to Door County, has given Holliday and Nelson a good life. Baby Samuel is now a freshman at Ripon College, and the bed and breakfast business suits them.

“It is such a positive experience running an inn,” Holliday said. “People are having a good time and you’re helping them do it.”

And what do they like about Baileys Harbor? “This!” she said, pointing to the view. “And I like that it’s quiet. We keep a little sailboat in front of the inn to get our sailing fix.”

Any blacksmiths looking for a forge might contact Holliday and Nelson, as they have one to let. Those interested in guest rooms in the Blacksmith Inn at 8157 Highway 57 may visit http://www.theblacksmithinn.com.