Tucked away in the Brandywine Valley within a 30-minute drive from the Main Line is one of the most luxurious bed-and-breakfast operations on the East Coast. More often than not properties of this variety, in years gone by, were horse-and-buggy affairs filled with much enthusiasm and some very good art collected by families who spared no expense in creating what became a gift to posterity.
Once upon a time there existed a different lifestyle and a handsome retreat called Hamanassett is a splendid reminiscence with spacious rooms, large comfortable beds and all the amenities that today's traveler expects to enjoy. Neither glam nor bohemian, it is a 19th-century mansion surrounded by meadows and gardens, built by Charles Deluncene Meigs, who was president of the Royal College of Physicians in the mid-1850s. When he died, Hamanassett became the coveted treasure of his son whom Civil War buffs will recognize as Montgomery Meigs, President Lincoln's Quartermaster General during the war between the states. There have been further owners - at one time it was headquarters for the Lima Hunt, a fox-hunting clan (Oscar Wilde would have hailed it as the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable), but it was always recognized as one of the area's showplaces. General Meigs' wife was enamored of flowers, aided by her own battery of gardeners, and when flattered she could bloom like a Persian rosebush.
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Smart Living in Baltimore
STYLE MAGAZINE
November, 2009
Farm To Table - Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast
Cooking school at this Brandywine Valley country inn is a fantasy camp for foodies interested in a truly locatarian experience.
by Stephanie Citron
"In advance to cooking today, our morning will be spent foraging fresh ingredients for our recipes at two different farms and a winery," she told us. "For our dinner tonight, we'll be picking fresh corn, tomatoes to make a tomato-water soup, peppers, watermelon to grill for a salad, greens and herbs, peaches for a soufflé and picking up some freshly procured Amish chickens for our main course. Though I've pre-planned our dinner menu, it will be flexible, depending upon the fresh bounty we happen upon in our travels today."
Just listening to Chef Albertson was heaven. Some people fantasize about sports camp; I've always dreamed of attending cooking classes at a country inn. I'd spent months researching itineraries, looking for a hands-on cooking program that integrated slow food principles and techniques with local, seasonal ingredients. When I discovered the "Brandywine Bounty" class at Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. Chef Albertson's credentials sealed the deal: professional training at LaVarenne in Paris, the Culinary Institute of America and many others.
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Arrington's Inn Traveler
Fall, 2004
"There can be wide open spaces and Southern hospitality even in the bustling and crowded Northeast. Just ask Ashley Mon, owner/innkeeper of Hamanassett Bed & Breakfast & Carriage House in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, located in the Brandywine Valley, and just 30 minutes from Philadelphia.
Formerly an innkeeper in New Orleans and raised in South Carolina, Ashley makes it easy to fall in love at and with her establishment. In fact, she has some guests who became engaged while staying at Hamanassett and recently returned for their honeymoon. She expects to see them for anniversaries as well."
Pennsylvania Magazine
Jan./Feb., 2007
Southern Hospitality at its Finest
Delaware County Inn provides quiet respite from 21st century instrusions
"Southern hospitality can be expected with breakfasts so beautiful, some guests take photos of Ashley Mon's presenations before dining"
From providing unanticipated extras such as a stocked guest pantry to superb accommodations that would fulfill even the most discriminating traveler's desires, Ashley strives to surpass her guests' expectations. What we'll remember most is the heartfelf kindness and thoughtfulness she bestows on anyone who shows up at ther door."
New York Times - Escapes
November 3, 2006
"The elaborate breakfasts are a high point."
Philadelphia Magazine
November, 2006
the good life | Travel
"Innkeeper Ashley Mon has spent the past five years bringing out the best in this circa-1856 stone home, the former country house of Major General Montgomery Cunningham Meigs, quartermaster general to President Lincoln. The fruits of Mons labor are elegant and homey; a tall-ceilinged sitting room with her Southern ancestors' furniture, a closetful of board games, a crystal decanter of sherry in the billards room, and warm chocolate chip cookies set out in the hallway at bedtime.
All rooms have feather beds, English linens, antique maps and wireless Internet- but only one has a rosewood bed that is 10 feet high. A separate carriage house, with two bedrooms and full kitchen, is the perfect spot for families with little ones or pets."
Hamanassett B&B & Carriage House
15 minutes from Longwood Gardens
(610) 459-3000 | Reservations (877) 836-8212 | Email:
stay@hamanassett.comAshley Mon, Innkeeper
