Brian K. Diggs/American-Statesman

Each of the guest rooms at Brendan Manor in LaGrange is named after a woman who once lived in the 1885 house. The Tabitha Annette room features accents of pink and lace.

Stairway to heaven

Brendan Manor's historic staircase leads guests to restful rooms

By Janet Wilson

American-Statesman Staff

Sunday, August 5, 2001

Brendan Manor is one of the oldest homes in LaGrange, but it's a new kid on the block in the bed-and-breakfast industry.

Although it's only been open since April, Brendan Manor has already passed the rigorous inspection standards required to join the Historic and Hospitality Accommodations of Texas. And owners Brenda and Dan Gilmore are working to make it a first-class operation.

A chess set inside Brendan Manor.

The Gilmores searched East Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and California before finding the perfect house a couple of blocks from the historic Fayette County Courthouse in LaGrange. The 1885-era, three-story mansion has some of the original furnishings, all of the hinges and most of the Quinn glass windows from France.

But the masterpiece is a free-flying staircase that won architectural acclaim at the 1885 Kansas City World's Fair before being shipped to its new home in LaGrange.

"This is a wonderful old house with lots of history," said Dan Gilmore. "The house was literally designed around the staircase. It was hand-carved and goes up to the second floor. There is no visible means of support. It is a beautiful piece of work."

Dan Gilmore's day job is associate director of mission work for Tryon Evergreen Baptist Association in Conroe. He provides stress management, conflict resolution and similar services to affiliated churches, so it's natural that he wants Brendan Manor to be a place where his overnight visitors also escape from stress.

Guests wander among the century-old oaks that grace the sweeping front lawn or take a breather on the front and side porches. The four bedrooms — the Sarah Ellen, the Laura Leigh, the Nellie Lee and the Tabitha Annette — are named for former owners, or "ladies of the house," Gilmore says. Guests sleep in a sleigh or a canopy bed or a four-poster bed, rest on a fainting couch, bathe in a claw-footed tub or relax in a Jacuzzi.

Brendan Manor, which is a play on Brenda's and Dan's names, is at 345 E. Travis St. Rates range from $95-$150 per night for two people. For information, call toll-free (866) 658-1100. Or visit http://www.brendanmanor.com/.