Turning the Lights Back On
My father had never built a house before, so it’s no surprise he got his measurements wrong, but even though it was much bigger than he’d planned, it was perfect.
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Maybe he unconsciously built it that big because he’d been a lighthouse keeper for so many years and developed a deep love for having people around.
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And the people came! The house was often filled to the rafters with family and friends enjoying homemade food and wonderful music. It had a special energy - one that made you feel good by just being there.
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The place was lit from within with love, and if those walls could speak, they'd have more than a few happy memories to share.
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The light shined brightly in our home for many years until one day, it suddenly stopped.
On March 16th, 1987, our family suffered a horrific tragedy when my father, younger brother and uncle lost their young lives in a drowning accident.
My father doing what he loved. Sept. 1938 - Mar. 1987
My brother Georgie Apr. 1970 - Mar. 1987
One the last times they had their picture taken
My father doing what he loved. Sept. 1938 - Mar. 1987
Within a few short years and with unbearable sorrow clinging to the walls of our beautiful home, we closed the doors and walked away with heavy hearts and bittersweet memories.
The light had gone out in every way.
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Those were hard days for our family and for many others in our small, tightly knit community of St. Shotts. The house sat silent and remained dark for the next seventeen years.
With Grateful Hearts
While she no longer lived there, we'll be forever grateful to our mother for keeping the house protected from the elements so that one day we could return if we so wanted.
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That day came about twenty-five years later when my husband and I hatched a crazy plan to turn the lights back on and breathe new life into our old family home.
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The renovations were extensive. Every ceiling, wall, and floor came out - with just one exception - the guitar wall. That had to stay. Today it serves as a backdrop for local entertainers and recording artists to share their stories and songs with our guests.
We believe Dad would be very pleased about that.
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On June 24th, 2022, The Keeper’s Kitchen Inn opened its doors and welcomed its first guests. Since then, countless others have come to sit at our table—to eat, laugh and feel the light of this place.
Visitors often tell us there’s something special in the air here—a sense of warmth, peace and quiet renewal. We feel it too.
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There’s no greater joy than watching people arrive as guests and leave somehow brighter inside, as though something long dormant has flickered back to life.
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That’s what The Keeper’s Kitchen is all about.
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We're more than a home away from home—we are a haven that reconnects you with your spirit through exceptional food, music, art and adventure.
And if these walls could speak, we’re sure they’d say: “Thank you.”
... For keeping the light burning.
... For sharing it forward.
... For helping this old house to shine once more.