Bristol Retreat
Redemption Story
Built in 1908, this classic Foursquare Craftsman house has stood the test of time. What was initially a private residence was transitioned into a dental office in the 1980’s and then into a physical’s office in the 1990’s. We purchased it in 2007 from a retiring physician who had closed her practice. We transformed the space into a beautiful skin care center, which also housed a dermatology practice. We accomplished this remodel in 2008 with the hard work and help of Pete, Ian, Mark, Michael, and several other firefighters and a local contractor.
Once open, we made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of things the hard way during this season. We were not on site much due to the demands of our regular jobs and the needs of our very young children. The long and the short of it is that the business lost money without our supervision. We really had no choice but to close the doors in December 2010.
But God in His mercy allowed us to pay the bills, maintain our jobs, our marriage and our relationships with our family and friends. He is truly our provider and the lifter of our heads. We could have lost everything in this venture, but thankfully we did not.
Since then, we put this house on the market for sale three times and put countless advertisements to rent it commercially, but had no one interested in buying or renting. Over the decade, we had a non-profit renting the downstairs for a few years and the upstairs for only a couple of years, but no one really stuck.
Then came covid.
Coming out of that year, we decided to change the house back into a residential space, creating a kitchen and multiple bedrooms to allow the LORD to truly redeem this once regal house.
Our girls, my husband, and I have worked very hard along with the help of many others (Boyd, Justin, and Matt to name a few) to make it a beautifully functional yet elegant space. We hope to one day live here in our retirement. We are blessed to have other firefighters, Rich and Brandon, to take care of the yard maintenance.
We have asked the LORD’s blessing, protection and redemption over this house. It is here for a reason to bring good to us and others and glory to HIS name. We welcome you to take the tour and complete the application if you are interested in renting (email hyperlink)
Amenities
- Beautiful entry and dining room that can accommodate up to 28 for meals (14 at the main table and we have 2 other tables there).
- High ceilings, large windows, lots of oak throughout.
- Cozy living room with ceiling fan.
- High speed Wi-fi with 2 TVs, 1 in living room and 1 in upstairs den.
- Bluetooth speaker and keyboard available to guests.
- Selection of books, games and puzzles.
- Foosball table and darts.
- Laundry room with washer/dryer available to guests.
- Vacuum, broom and other cleaning products also available if needed.
- 2 full-size refrigerators (1 in kitchen with in-door ice/water dispenser and bottom freezer with secondary ice maker and 1 in laundry room, which is right off the kitchen, with upper freezer).
- Dishwasher and garbage disposal.
- Paper products (plates, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper)
- 4.5 Baths (2 full per floor and half-bath on 1st floor)
- Bath towels, mats, washcloths, hand towels, kitchen towels and cleaning cloths.
- Foaming soap with dispensers in each bathroom and kitchen.
- 6 Bedrooms, all with ceiling fans and good mattresses as we believe in getting a good night’s sleep! (1st floor with a flex room that can either be a king or 2 twins and also the master suite which has a queen bed and a bonus room with a couch that can sleep 2 adults or 3 kids) 2nd floor with 2 kings, a queen, and a bunk room that can sleep 7.
- Upstairs office that is quiet.
- Firepit with wood on request. There are 6 Adirondack chairs around it.
- 13 parking spaces in our next door paved parking lot.
- Handicap ramp.
- Large front porch with a swing, gas grill and 2 tables with a total of 6 chairs.
Fully stocked kitchen ready for entertaining. (In our experience, paper plates are much easier if there are many people). Also, we have found that the adjacent laundry room countertop is a great place to have beverages and/or desserts so the kitchen is available for the main buffet for a large group.
- Dinnerware and silverware for 20 people (dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, dinner forks, salad forks, knives, spoons, teaspoons)
- Formal Dinnerware for 8
- Wine glasses
- Wine opener and stoppers
- Can opener
- Toaster
- Large Crockpot and a triple pot crock set
- Microwave
- Mixing bowls
- Serving bowls
- Cutting boards
- Strainer
- Cheese knives
- Knives
- Electric kettle
- Blender
- Coffee station with 2 French Presses and a combination drip automatic coffee maker side as well as Keurig side, a small stash of coffee to get you started
- Tea station with selection of tea bags and loose tea with accoutrements
- Spices
- Serving platters
- Sugar, stevia and splenda packets.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many people can stay?
The maximum number of guests is limited to 17 persons at night (9pm to 9am) and 28 persons during the day (may be on premises from 9am to 9pm).
What time can we check in and when do we need to leave?
Check-in begins at 2pm and check-out ends at 11am.
Can we rent it for a night?
No, we require a 2-night minimum stay. 3 day minimum stay for most holidays.
Can we bring our dog/cat/lizard/etc (pet)?
No. We do not allow pets on the premises.
Can I vape?
No. We do not allow vaping, smoking or any illegal drugs (including marijauna).
Can I rent just one room?
No, but we have it set up so you can rent just the downstairs if you don’t need the whole house. There are 2 bedrooms downstairs. The upstairs den and bathrooms may be included in this option.
Why don’t you have the website set up so I can just book and pay here?
We value this house and we reserve the right to choose who we will allow to use it.
Why is such a large deposit required?
Just so you know, we do require an application as well as a deposit. We are asking for a $2000 deposit because we want you to take care of our house. This deposit will cover damages and replacements, if needed. We expect that the full deposit will be returned to you in full after checkout unless there are damages or items missing. We will contact you first if there is a problem. The deposit will be returned after the cleaning and inventory is completed. (Usually 1 week unless around the holidays it may be 10 days.) Exceptions are: you lose your deposit if you exceed the maximum number of guests allowed, allow pets or allow smoking, vaping or illegal drugs, or throw an open invite party. This is not a party house and our neighbors have our phone numbers. (And I have a nose like a hunting dog…)
What is the cost to rent the house?
Minimum: $300 per night with a 2 night minimum.
How much is the Cleaning Fee?
It is based on what you use. $175 if you rent the downstairs only. If you book/use the upstairs as well, it will cost an additional $25 for each upstairs bedroom except the bunkroom, which will be an additional $50 due to the number of beds to be laundered.
Where do I get the application?
Here (with hyperlink).
How do I know if the dates I need are available?
Please inquire for dates mike@bristolretreat.com.