Victorian bed & breakfast, familiar, cozy elegance
John Rambo was one of the founding fathers of Damascus. Soon after the Civil War, the first post office in this part of the country was established in the home of John Rambo which was the original log home behind the Inn. His son, W.D., was the postmaster. This was on the grounds of the site now known as The Mountain Laurel Inn. When the new home was built in 1901-1903, the log home was torn down but the old log smokehouse was retained and remains today an interesting reminder of its original use
Guests of the Inn frequently watch the deer from the wooded area behind the Inn wander out to lick the salt from its dirt floor. W.D.'s daughter, Florence, followed him as the first postmistress. In addition, she was the bookkeeper of the Lincoln Furniture Company which was located across the road. She was fond of saying that she was "never late for work." Florence never married. She became the mistress of the Rambo House and her Sister (W.D.'s other daughter) was Lillie. She moved in with her daughters (Sisters Room) following the death of her husband and their father in a railroad accident.
William D. Rambo, the father of Florence and Lillie, occupied the room known today as Grandpa's room.
After the death of her husband in a railroad accident on the Virginia Creeper, Lillie Rambo Scott and her two daughters moved in with her sister Florence. Lillie's Room is furnished with the original handcrafted furniture made by Dave Millsap, the local artisan who built the house and carved the panels and ceilings seen in the Inn today.
Lillie's daughters, Ruth Scott Keller and Francis Scott grew up in this house. At the time of their father's death, they were toddlers. They were raised by Florence after Lillie's death. Ruth and Francis both grew up to be school teachers. Aptly named, the room these girls shared is called Sister's room and still has two double beds.
Innkeepers, Kathleen McMahon and Nathalie Graham welcome guests to the Mountain Laurel Inn. The Bed and Breakfast can be found in Damascus, Virginia nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. The Inn is a 118-year-old Queen Anne Victorian lavishly decorated with antiques from the original family as well as from heirlooms handed down from Kathleen's grandmother, (Nathalie's mother), and from world travels of this former military family.
The bed and breakfast is conveniently located, allowing guests easy access to recreation locations such as the Virginia Creeper Trail, Appalachian Trail, Snake Road, golf courses, horseback riding, fishing, Bristol Motor Speedway, hiking, the Barter Theatre, dining and art galleries.
The Mountain Laurel Inn is the perfect balance of elegant and cozy. With this Victorian B&B, set on more than 3 acres of lush green grounds, nestled in trees and mountain tops; you'll have the best of both worlds. Only minutes from downtown Damascus, it's a quiet spot to get away from it all.
Sit on one of two porches, front, and back facing; take a swim (in season) or just relax by the pool after a day of hiking or biking on the Creeper Trail or the Appalachian Trail. Take a break from a day of touring the local art galleries, shopping and of course, the historic Barter Theatre. This is the sort of place where you can truly feel at home and among friends - only they'll do all the work!
Although the Mountain Laurel Inn was built in the early 1900's (with extensive, beautiful Oak, and rare American Chestnut paneling), you will be comfortable no matter the weather with central heating and A/C, free WiFi, a TV (with satelite) and a sound machine in every room and off-street parking.
