Frog Hollow
by Patti Guthrie
Frog Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast in Kintnersville, owned by Patti and Mitch Adler, opened ten years ago. Patti said, “We met the neighbors before we bought the property. We wanted to tell them our intentions of turning the private residence into a B&B. We were living in Buckingham and were friends with the Byrds who then owned Ash Mill Farm. Between their encouragement and the fact we love to travel and stay at B&Bs, we decided, ‘We can do this.’”
The original section of their stone farmhouse, built in the mid-1700s, consisted of single rooms on two floors connected by a pie staircase. Mitch commented, “They probably kept their animals on the ground floor until they built the large bank barn. That part of the house is original except for the floor. We found the draft doors for the walk-in fireplace in the basement a few years after we moved in.” In the mid-1800s, an addition was built, another Art Deco styled section added in the 1920s and a large porch across the front after that. The working farm was 250 acres, registered in 1798. It’s been whittled down to the present four and a half.
The first floor had been renovated when they purchased the property. “We did add new countertops in the kitchen where breakfasts are served and had the stone fireplace in the sitting room repointed and converted to gas,” said Patti.
Remodeling the second floor to create three guest rooms with bathrooms was a bigger project than they expected, considering they had to build an addition for the third room and a corridor. “We thought the work would take a few months,” she said. It actually was more than a year.
Mitch said, “It took us awhile to find an architect and a contractor. Joe Moors, our present contractor from Ottsville, is amazing. I’ll have an idea and he’ll bring it to fruition, regardless of what’s involved.”
All three guest rooms have queen-size beds, WiFi, basic cable and old fashioned televisions. But, that’s where their similarities end, as each is completely different. Because of that, some guests want the same room, while others choose to sample all three.
The Cathedral Room, the smallest, has a tall ceiling, as its name implies. The bathroom features a steam shower and retro tile. There’s a full closet, exposed stone in the room and charming older details. The bed headboard is made from a bench, an example of the Adler’s penchant for recycling and repurposing anything they can. “Lots of couples love this room,” she said.
Petie’s Room, the largest, is named for their previous dog. It features a brick wall and a balcony reached by an old-fashioned Dutch door. There’s a small closet and an armoire. The bathroom has a Jacuzzi, a double sink and a stall shower.
The Porch Room is the addition, with its new hickory floor. The highlight is a four-poster bed.
The bathroom has a tub/shower with a skylight and a vanity from Massachusetts. All three have well-loved furniture, some of it antique, from the Adler’s parents and other relatives. Actually, the downstairs also is furnished with items from both families. For instance, the bone china on the dining table belonged to Patti’s grandmother. “People say we ought to keep it in a cupboard. But, we feel it should be used.”
To finish reading about Frog Hollow Farm, turn to page 92 in the Fall issue of bucks County Magazine.