The Bed and Breakfast portion of Goodwin House was built for Dr. Erastus Goodwin in about 1828.  Tax records show that Dr. Goodwin owned this land since about 1811.  He purchased the land from William Law, who was one of the Partners in the original Connecticut Land Company.  It is believed that Dr. Goodwin built the first house in or before 1814, the year he married. That portion of the house is now the Innkeepers Quarters. Tax records indicate evidence of the larger brick house in 1827 or 1828.  This home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

Geauga County is celebrated its bicentennial in 2006.  Geauga County’s first settlement was in Burton in 1798. 

An interesting item of Geauga County History is that in March 1823, Dr. Goodwin was one of the men of the jury that convicted Benjamin Wright, Jr. of murdering Zophar Warner. Benjamin Wright’s sentence, to hang by the neck until dead, was carried out on the third Thursday in May. The Painesville Telegraph reported an attendance on Chardon Square of over 4,000 people, including a cavalry, rifle companies, fife and drum corps, out-of-county visitors, and Geaugans.  This has been the only legal capital punishment sentence carried out in Geauga County.

The home is solidly built of a thick brick exterior, and significantly sized posts, beams, and joists in the interior.  The stones making up the basement walls are massive.  Much of the wood flooring on the first and second floors is original American Chestnut. This wood floor is remarkable because American Chestnut, once plentiful, is now extinct as a building wood. Other original features include the cherry staircase and banister, and exceptional woodwork trim in the parlor and master bedroom.

A view from the attic shows original historic mortise and tenon joinery holding the basic framework of the house.  This method, unlike modern construction techniques, joins posts and beams together without the use of screws or nails.

Also visible from the very steep walk-up attic stairs is the back side of a very old, if not original, lathe and plaster wall.  This is a rare view of building and finishing technique that is over 100 years old.
Visible nails (i.e. in the wood floor and wood trim) are estimated to be 100 to 180 years old.  Some of the square nails appear to have been machine cut -  placing them at the end of the 19th century, while others seem to be hand-forged – making them much older – likely original when the house was built.
The house is an example of transitional architecture from Federal style (early 19th century) to Classical or Greek Revival (beginning about 1825).  The semi-circle fans over the front door and at the top of the front of the house are Federal elements, but the dentil trim and gable end facing the street indicates a Classical or Greek Revival style. 

This house has been a local landmark for over 100 years.  The book, Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, published in 1880, notes Dr. Goodwin’s house for it’s brick and masonry work.  Other houses (now gone) are located with respect to this house.  For example, “The Ford house is across from Dr. Goodwin’s brick house.”  Other books and articles note the extensive original woodwork in the parlor and master bedroom (now the Cherry Room.)

In about 1969, the house became, in addition to a residence, a part time antique shop.  It continued as an antique shop, called “The Brick Townhouse”, under two owners, until a few years ago.  The shop was primarily in the side wing, which is now the Innkeeper’s quarters.

Special furniture and antique articles are on display and some small antiques are for sale.  In addition to these unusual pieces, Tom, one of the Innkeepers, has inherited high quality furniture and other items from the 1800s and 1900s. Some of those items are remarkable.

Updates to the original house include a kitchen, sometime in the middle of last century, and all new bathrooms for the guest rooms in 2006.

Robyn and Tom, the Innkeepers, have decided to own and operate this Bed & Breakfast as a way to help preserve this historic landmark, and to have fun and be creative!  We hope you will enjoy this house and our hospitality as much as we enjoy sharing this Treasure, and meeting you!