Celebrating and supporting the Grant Street Inn

After 30 years, the inn faces the possibility of closure

Built for love, and saved because of a dream, the Grant Street Inn is a historic, nostalgic part of Bloomington, Indiana. With a rich history that begins in 1883, the future bed and breakfast first served as a home to a former Indiana University dean and his family and later became a student rental house. In the 1990s, when the house faced the possibility of being torn down, Bill and Gayle Cook were presented with a unique business proposal.

The Cook family agreed to save the Queen Anne style house, purchased it for $20, and moved it one and a half blocks east to its current location 310 N Grant St., Bloomington, Indiana.

“It was a very slow process to move this huge two-story house down the street to its new location,” said Jim Murphy, president of CFC Properties. “It was a big job, a very big job.”

“I remember sitting on five-gallon buckets inside of the house after the move with Bill Cook and Steve Ferguson asking the question, ‘Well, now that we’ve saved it, what are we going to do with it?’ Which was Bill’s ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ mentality. That was a fun process to go through,” Jim added.

Restoration and renovations

From that point, it was decided that the house would be renovated and restored to become a bed and breakfast establishment. After the renovations were completed, the Grant Street Inn celebrated their successful opening with 14 rooms in 1991. In 1995, a couple of nearby structures, today known as The Dargan House and The Buttercup Cottage, were converted from apartments to additional guest rooms, increasing the room count to 24.

“Seeing the house go from the condition it was in from when we purchased the property, to relocating it, and seeing its overall transformation was quite remarkable,” Jim said.

Then, in 2012, the Grant Street Inn constructed its first LEED-certified building, accounting for an additional 16 rooms, known as The Hoosier House. In contrast to the Victorian chic and old-world elegant rooms offered at the inn, these rooms offer a more modern and eco-friendly environment, complete with a Tesla charging station, bicycle storage units, a fitness center, solar panels, a water irrigation system, LED lighting, and much more. Even with its modern twists, though, the newest structure still mirrors the original house, replicating its similar trim style, fish scale cedar shingles, and two large front porches with rocking chairs, and of course, it radiates the iconic yellow exterior that the Grant Street Inn is known for. In total, the Grant Street Inn occupies an entire block near downtown Bloomington, consists of 5 different houses, and offers 40 different rooms that guests can book.

Facing adversity and overcoming challenges

But despite its rich history, earlier this year, on January 16, the Grant Street Inn temporarily closed its doors due to a number of hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was not an easy decision to temporarily close. We care deeply for all our employees, our vendors, and the guests that inn has been able to welcome over the past 30-years,” said Paul Wagoner, the inn’s Hospitality manager.

While they were temporarily closed, the Grant Street Inn and CFC Properties have worked together to craft a plan that allows the inn to reopen on May 1, in honor of its 30 year anniversary, and remain a safe, fun, relaxing environment for its guests.

“Our goal is to reopen on May 1,” Paul said. “However, the opening is dependent on whether or not the inn is able to secure future reservations for the remaining year, if not, we will postpone the opening, and determine the future of the Grant Street Inn based on future demand.”

The inn is now accepting reservations for May 1 and beyond. In addition to reservation and room information, to further ensure that guests feel comfortable about their stay, the inn has their COVID-19 policies, including updates, posted on their website.

Reservations, discounts, and celebrations

“While the inn has all the amenities of a larger hotel, it also offers more personalized touches, such as, afternoon baked goods in the lobby with coffee and tea and a full hot breakfast served every morning,” said Paul.

“We are also deeply rooted in the community.” Paul added, “Many come for the nostalgic experience, while others claim it’s like a home away from home.”

If you are interested in learning more about this historic residence, or making a reservation, you can find more information on the Grant Street Inn’s website or by calling 800.328.4350.

Not to mention, with the historic inn celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Grant Street Inn would like to extend their gratitude by offering rooms for only $99 per night, Sunday – Thursday, from May 9 – July 31, 2021.

If you are looking to book a room before or after these dates, don’t forget that with your Cook employee discount, you can make plans to reserve a weeknight or weekend getaway at the Grant Street Inn for $109 per night.

All in all, with countless, fun-filled memories created, and many more to come, here’s to a happy 30 years for the Grant Street Inn!

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