The Washington Post -- June 26, 2003The Washington Post -- June 26, 2003
For a Special Day, a Special Site
By Linda Wheeler
Pentagon policy planner Kristi Hunt picked Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast in Middleburg for her wedding to Army Col. Art Kron in September 2002 because it had the feel of a gracious country estate with a long history of family gatherings and because Kron liked the Civil War connection. But it was the wraparound porch that captivated her.
"It was a porch like you don't find today," Hunt said. "It was the kind of place where people used to spend a lot of time, and we spent a lot of time there also."
Dinner was served on the porch after the late-afternoon wedding with 35 guests seated at antique tables and chairs. "We had dinner as the sun was setting," she said. "We wanted a place where we would be comfortable to linger after the meal."
Couples who want to be married in a historic setting in Loudoun and Fauquier counties have a rich selection of sites - vintage churches, inns, plantations, mills, gardens and at least one library and one schoolhouse.
Briar Patch co-owner Ellen Goldberg books weddings as two-day events only. She said the bride's and groom's families need time to get to know one another, reflecting a southern custom of the 19th century when weddings were held at the family estate and relatives were expected to stay for several days.
"We offer a home setting," Goldberg said. "We provide the atmosphere for families to meet and to blend. There is time to just hang out."
Briar Patch, like many of the early estates in the area, has bullet holes in its brick walls as evidence that the Civil War was a very personal experience for some residents. After the war, the region was devastated economically, and many mansions fell into ruin. Briar Patch made its comeback in 1965 when previous owners renovated it.
Middleburg Life - October 2003
Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast in Middleburg Wins Best in a Wine Region Award
After only one year in business, inngoers have voted Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast in Middleburg one of the Top 15 B&Bs/Inns in the U.S. in the category of Best in a Wine Region by Inn Traveler Magazine. Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast is a historic farm (circa 1805) on 47 rolling acres with great views of the Bull Run Mountains. Guests enjoy sitting on the veranda sipping Virginia wines, viewing the grazing horses in the fields, swimming in the large, newly renovated pool, or soaking in the oversized hot tub. In its eight antique-decorated bedrooms in the main house and cozy one-bedroom cottage, Briar Parch offers guests a relaxing and comfortable escape.
Civil War buffs are intrigued to learn the details of the Battle of Haystacks fought on Briar Patch land in June of 1863. Families enjoy the relaxed atmosphere created by owners Ellen Goldberg & Dan Haendel and manager Virginia Hester. One stressed out Washington D.C. attorney with three children said after spending a weekend at Briar Patch with his family, "Not only is everything here pleasing to the eye, but the tone and mood lift our spirits. This place is a dream come true."
Briar Patch hosts weddings, company picnics and retreats, family gatherings, or other festive occasions. Recently, Briar Patch's first bride and groom returned to stay for their first anniversary with their two month old son. Owners Ellen and Dan hope this will be the first of many anniversaries of happy couples married at Briar Patch.
To learn more about Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast, check out their website at www.briarpatchbandb.com or call (703) 327-5911.
Middleburg Life - July 2002
Briar Patch B&B
By Audrey Windsor Bergner
The sun was playing leapfrog on Memorial Day weekend but what's a little thunder and a few showers among friends?
It certainly didn't dampen the spirits of hundreds of guests attending the opening day of the new B & B Briar Patch in Middleburg. This wonderful old house, part of which dates back to the early 1800's, was long the home of the deZeregas and later of Middleburg's beloved First Lady of the Theatre, Jean Gold.
A new couple to the area, Ellen Goldberg and her husband, Dan Haendel, both lawyers in Washington, D.C. fell in love with historic Briar Patch a year or so ago and decided to buy it and use it as a B & B.
Now as all old home lovers know, history comes at a heavy price as Ellen and Dan discovered after dealing with every imaginable branch of Loudoun County bureaucracy. But their persistence paid off and on Memorial Day they proudly welcomed guests to every corner of their new abode.
Eight bedrooms...with four posters and old quilts; two charming drawing rooms and a delightful guest cottage with its own kitchen; plus beautiful grounds, patios, an almost completed sparkling pool and a Victorian era veranda overflowing with old wicker rockers and pots of flowers.
A huge white canopied tent offered an open bar and delicious refreshments when Old Sol finally blessed us with his rays. All in all, a lovely way to spend Memorial Day and a pleasure to see another historic home of the Piedmont being preserved for future generations.
The
Country Register - July-August 2004
Celebrate the Good Life at Briar Patch Bed and
Breakfast Inn
By Donna Hopkins
The Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast Inn was officially opened on June 1, 2002 by husband and wife team, Dan Haendel and Ellen Goldberg. After more than a year of renovations and repairs, the Inn was transformed into a warm and welcoming home away from home.
These two lawyers brought with them the business savvy and professional skills to create a successful small business. Briar Patch was voted one of the top 15 Bed and Breakfast Inns in the category of "Best in a Wine Region" by Inn Traveler Magazine for 2004. Ellen and Dan endeavor to "provide a casual, relaxed, and homey atmosphere to a wide spectrum of guests including couples, seniors, families, people with alternative lifestyles, and pet lovers. We strive to offer superior customer service at an affordable price."
Briar Patch is a historic farm (circa 1805) built on 47 acres of green grassy hills with sweeping scenic mountain views. Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Mountains on Route 50 west, 4 miles east of Middleburg, Briar Patch offers convenient access, just 45 min. from DC, while still providing a peaceful, rural setting.
Briar Patch is operated by a small team who has really become family. Dan still makes the daily commute to his job in Washington, DC for the Department of Defense, but spends his "free" time helping out at the Inn wherever needed. Ellen has traded in her long days working for Fannie Mae for full time work at the Inn. The Briar Patch is managed by Virginia Hester, who at only 25 years old may well be the youngest manager of a B&B, but works with the skill of a seasoned professional. Virginia doubles as the chef, creating delicious home cooked breakfast delights. Though they are close enough to keep things running smoothly, the owners and manager do not live in the Briar Patch home. This allows guests to have all their needs met, relax, and enjoy their visit without feeling as though they are guests in someone's home with the obligation for small talk or the feeling of having little privacy or freedom.
When you visit Briar Patch, come in through the back door, just as friends do, and you will feel welcome right away. As the antique sampler on the wall reads, "Come in the evening or Come in the morning. Come when you're invited or Come without warning." Briar Patch overflows with charm and hospitality. Guests may stay in one of eight rooms in the main house, all named after flowers like Rose, Sunflower, or Hyacinth, or combine two rooms to create a private suite. There is also a one bedroom cottage with its own little kitchen, dining area, and sitting room that is perfect for couples with infants and young children - crib and cot available.
Ellen loves meeting people from all walks of life and tries to put herself in the place of a guest. She has slept in every room at the Bed & Breakfast and pays attention to special touches and details. Fresh flowers, fluffy towels and robes, scented soaps, candles, extra pillows and magazines make each room an inviting retreat. Guests will find an information book in each room that contains not only the expected like check-in policies and room rates, but also a comprehensive list of things to do, organized by area of interest. There are lists of restaurants, wineries, shopping, parks, horse riding, historic attractions, golf courses, farms, spas, and other fun activities like hot air balloon rides. The pantry is well stocked with bottled water, soft drinks & snacks, both healthy and junky. Wine, cheese & crackers are served in the afternoons for guests.
Ellen scoured thrift shops, estate sales, consignment shops, and home decorator stores to purchase furniture and accessories to create an eclectic decorating style, a pleasing mix of country cottage, world traveler, and artist. One guests described the ambience of Briar Patch perfectly. "The house is chock full of things that remind me of my grandparents and wonderful fun times at a country farm house in Illinois…pink walls, needlepoint, lacy dresser scarves, dark wood antique furniture, quilts, milk glass, blue dishes, lawn chairs, a collection of cups and saucers…even the soft tick of a clock to put us to sleep."
Briar Patch hosts weddings, company picnics and retreats, family gatherings, and other special occasions. For weddings, the Inn provides a place and a time for the two families to spend time together without rushing around - because everything is in one location.
Guests venture outside and enjoy the sanctuary in the yard of Briar Patch. You can spend an afternoon reading a good book in the hammock, laugh with family and friends after a croquet game in the yard, or site on the porch in a whicker rocking chair, sipping Virginia wines. Swim in the heated, vinyl pool, or soak in the oversized hot tub nestled among lush green trees. Or simply rest at the end of the evening in the swing. Ellen boasts that Briar Patch is beautiful in all four seasons and tells the tale of guests shoveling snow to reach the hot tub.
No stay at Briar Patch would be complete with the Bed and not the Breakfast. What better way to start the day off right than a delicious, gourmet, home-cooked breakfast? French toast stuffed with cream cheese and blueberries, fresh Maple syrup, poached eggs with havarti cheese and fresh dill and whipping cream, along with a fruit platter of melon, berries, and pineapple are typical fare at the B&B. Enjoy fresh orange juice and coffee in the Briar Patch's signature cobalt blue glass mugs.
In the words of the infamous Brer Rabbit to the not-so-sly fox, "You can barbeque me, hang me, drown me, or skin me, but, please, please, please don't throw me into the briar patch!" But, just like the smart and sassy Brer Rabbit, all we really want is to land at home, happy as can be, where it is comfy, safe, and familiar. A visit to The Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast is like your favorite childhood story, complete with a happily ever after ending and maybe even a moral or lesson well learned.
For information and reservations, visit www.briarpatchbandb.com.
Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast was voted one of the top 15 B&Bs/Inns in the U.S. in the category of "Best Weekend Escape" by Inn Traveler Magazine for 2005.