Location(s)

The Reynolds Mansion
Joseph and Charlotte Heidt, Proprietors
101 West Linn Street

    The mansion was built in 1884-85 for Major William F. Reynolds in Queen Anne style, liberally sprinkled—as was the predominant fashion in the late Victorian period—with dashes of High Victorian Gothic, Italianate and Second Empire Baroque. The unknown architect seems to have been influence by the great William Morris as well. One thing is certain however the mansion is a masterpiece of elegant style and every comfort the times could offer.
    Construction of the house required twenty Italian stone masons, working simultaneously to lay the handsome red sandstone walls of the nineteen-room house. Then the finishing of the magnificent interior began. Workmen with skills that—tragically—seem to grow ever rarer finished the spacious ceilings on which other workers hand-painted cherubs or installed beautifully finished wood trim. The finest wood available was used in door and window frames and in the many fireplace mantels in the house, in the magnificent staircase, lit by exquisite strained glass windows and in the unique parquet floors. The builder installed an inter-building communication system that is still useful to the Heidts today. There is also evidence that the unknown, but gifted architect aspired to incorporate a central heating system fueled by additional fireplaces in the basement. A two-story carriage house was built in 1893.
    When Major Reynolds’ nephew, Colonel W. Frederick Reynolds inherited the house, he added a large elliptical shaped closed porch behind the kitchen with a game/trophy room above. The Heidts are presently adding a third story to this addition, a beautiful glass conservatory.
    As the number in the average family diminished and the cost of maintaining such large establishments grew, the very size of the house seemed certain to doom it to conversion to multi-family use, which was the fate of the Hastings mansion further down Allegheny Street. Indeed, for a time, the Reynolds house was actually used as a church. When Joe and Charlotte Heidt bought the mansion in 1991, they gave it a new life as, perhaps, the most elegant bed and breakfast establishment in central Pennsylvania, which opened in 1994. Guests may sleep in the Colonel’s Green Room or Louise’s Cherub Room, each featuring a fireplace, oversize bed, Jacuzzi tub and private bath with shower, or Grace’s Garden Room with private bath and steam shower and Queen Size bed or several other rooms. They may enjoy a game of pool in the Billiards Room or read the paper over a cup of excellent coffee in the Snuggery, once the Gentlemen’s Retiring Room after dinner. They may eat breakfast before the fire in the beautiful Victorian formal dining room.

Homes tour visitors will be welcome to tour the entire first floor of a gracious lady of a mansion all decked out in her holiday finery.

Courtesy of Reynolds Mansion
www.Reynoldsmansion.com