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Bucks has an incredibly rich history. The county is rife with historically significant buildings, many dating back to the 1700s. An outstanding example is The Bridgetown Mill House Inn on Langhorne-Newtown Road in Langhorne. Besides being itself a classic Bucks County fieldstone manor house, on the property there are the ruins of an old stone mill. The earliest section of the dwelling was built in 1791 according to owner Kim DaCosta, while the mill actually dates all the way back to 1704. “Both buildings are mentioned by name in documents in the Mercer Museum’s Spruance Library and the DuPont Company Library in Delaware,” she said. “Bridgetown itself was given its name because you had to cross two bridges to get here.” She added, “I’m a stickler for historic facts.”
Although Langhorne-Newtown Road (Route 413) is a very busy road, behind the Mill House are eight beautiful acres of green gardens, the Neshaminy Creek, and some very large trees. The setting is peaceful and bucolic. Among the many large trees on the property, the three enormous Sycamores are particularly noteworthy, having been rated and studied by the County for their health and size. “Those trees are at least 280 years old, pushing 300,” said Kim. “I’ve been told they were planted by the Turtle Clan of the Neshaminy Indians who once lived in this area because the white bark of these trees could be seen from the creek.” She added, “When the electric company wanted to take down one of the trees so they could run their wires, I basically said, ‘Over my dead body!’” The wires are above the ground on each side of the Mill House but run underground across the front of this property.
The original or south side of the Mill House was doubled in size in 1861 when the northern half was built. She explained, “The masons did an outstanding job of blending the new stone construction with the original. It’s very difficult to see where the two join.”
When Kim bought the property in 1995, it had been a private residence. “We initially intended to open a restaurant. However, the zoning ordinances and other regulations we had to follow made it easier for us to have a bed and breakfast,” she said. As a result The Bridgetown Mill House Bed and Breakfast was opened in June of 1998 with three guest rooms. “Even though there are five bedrooms on the second floor, only three had baths,” she said. “I don’t like sharing a bathroom and so didn’t want my guests to have to share one.” In the ensuing years, bathrooms have been added to the other two rooms, bringing the number of guest rooms to five.
The present dining room was added in the early 1970s, using the outside wall as an interior one. “Everything here was made from recycled material. For example, the beams date from about 1820, the bricks are reused from Philadelphia streets. There’s a huge walk-in fireplace. Since we’ve had the property, we added a patio using recycled bricks from Philadelphia.”
In April of 2003 The Mill House opened its restaurant, making it a country inn. Russell Cummings is Kim’s partner and the main chef. He received his training at the Philadelphia Restaurant School. He’s been with the restaurant since the opening, first employed as a sous chef before taking the reins as the main chef a few years later. With a smile, he said, “Having an old house is a labor of love.” The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. However, the inn never closes.
You enter The Bridgetown Mill House Inn through a grand main door. The library has been converted to a bar. There’s a lounge with a working fireplace, one of six in the building. What once was a first floor bedroom now is a coatroom and restrooms for the dinner guests. Other than the main dining room and patio, there’s a great hall for private events, as well as a south porch.
On the second floor are the five guest rooms, each named. All the rooms feature custom indoor wood shutters, flat screen televisions, wifi, which is free and available throughout the building, zone air-conditioning, Egyptian cotton sheets and towels and Crabtree and Evelyn soaps and shampoos. The largest room, called The Bridgetown, has a king size canopy bed and a big closet. “Lots of brides and grooms have spent their first night as a married couple in this room,” Kim said. “We do a lot of weddings.” Although children under ten are not permitted, The Bridgetown has a pullout twin bed.
The other four rooms are named for the outside trees each faces. The Sycamore has a working fireplace, a queen size bed and a large wardrobe, while the Maple Room also has a fireplace, a pencil post queen and a wardrobe. Both the Walnut and Magnolia Rooms also have queen size beds, the former a panel board bedstead, the latter a cherry wood sleigh bedstead. Both also have large wardrobes since closets simply do not exist in old houses. All of the rooms have private baths. And all five are furnished in understated elegance, with an eye to luxurious comfort.
However, what you really notice when you’re inside the Mill House is how quiet it is, especially with a busy road so close by. Kim explained, “The stone walls are eighteen to twenty-four inches thick.”
This tall, slender woman, the middle child of three, grew up in near by Holland in a family where, “The motto was: ‘the more the merrier,’” she said. “I still am very close to my siblings.” Her sister lives in Pipersville, her brother in Long Beach, California. But she talks with him almost daily on the phone. After graduating from Council Rock High School, she earned her B.S. in finance from LaSalle University, then a MBA, also at LaSalle. “I went to school at night to get my Masters because I already was working at Pennsylvania Hospital.” She continued, “I now work at St. Mary Medical Center, which is why our restaurant isn’t open for lunch.” She added, “I’m a workaholic. So is Russell.” Their quarters are on the third floor. With a laugh, she said, “We’re just like everybody else. Except when we want a midnight snack, we have to walk into the refrigerator to get it.”
Their B & B staff consists of Kim, Russell and a housekeeper, and the restaurant employs around ten. In her spare time, Kim’s an avid gardener. “That’s my therapy,” she said. The grounds reflect her passion. Again when you’re standing outside, looking toward the meandering Neshaminy Creek that runs close by, it’s hard to believe that busy Route 413 is so near. This past spring their wonderful old Magnolia bloomed in mid-March. And at least five pairs of Canadian geese nested on the property. During the summer the many large trees provide a refreshing and relaxing canopy of shade. As you drive onto the property, you can’t miss the stone remains of The Bridgetown Mill itself, the walls still standing 300-plus years after it was built. Presently, there is no roof. But, Kim’s long-range plans include restoring the mill, a project that will keep her busy for quite some time.
The Bridgetown Mill House Inn has garnered its share of awards, including the “Best of Bucks for Lodging” from the Courier-Times and a 2012 Golden Fork from Suburban Living, plus an award for the restaurant from Zagat’s.
Breakfast for lodging guests is served at individual tables in the dining room and starts with fresh juices such as orange or cranberry, followed by a fresh fruit course, then croissants and muffins with fresh butter and jams. Coffee and teas are served. And there is a hot entrée, which could be bacon and eggs, French toast, sausage or quiche. On Saturdays breakfast is served between 8:30 and 9:30, 9 and 10 on Sundays. During the week, they offer a Continental breakfast. Kim commented, “We have quite a few corporate guests during the week.” She continued, “Women travelers have told us they feel safe because there always is someone here.” She added, “We recently got a new corporate traveler, a man who’s doing work in this area a couple of days a week. He was tired of motels and decided to stay here because it reminds him of his home in Connecticut.”
They also have a lot of repeat business. “We already are fully booked for this coming Thanksgiving by the families who stayed with us last year,” she said. “Langhorne is not really a destination like New Hope or Peddler’s Village, but Pennswood Village is close by. So people come here to visit their elderly parents or for some other local event, usually involving their families. In addition we do a lot of weddings plus our corporate mid-week travelers. We have a corporate rate that is comparable to the cost of many motels.” She added, “I’ve found that about ninety eight percent of the people who stay in an inn like people. We even have had people from the development across the street stay here to get away from their kids for a night or a weekend.”
If you’d like to get away from your kids for a night or a weekend, why not plan a stay at The Bridgetown Mill House Inn? You’ll find yourself surrounded by history as you relax in a big cozy queen or king sized bed, enjoy Russell’s delectable culinary creations, explore the mill building or stroll along the babbling Neshaminy, a couple of hundred years removed from the busy hustle and bustle of 21st century Bucks County.
The Bridgetown Mill House Inn is located 760 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Route 413, Langhorne, PA 19047. For more information, call 215-752-8996 or visit their website at www.bridgetown millhouse.com.
Patti Guthrie is a freelance writer and antiques dealer from Chalfont, PA.