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At the Haven you are the only guest
By Robin Crawford
Book a room at The Haven at Center Hill, a 104-acre estate and wildlife preserve six miles east of Lewisburg, and you get more than just a room.
Photo by The Haven at Center Hill
The house dog greets guests as they arrive. The Haven at Center Hill is located in Lewisburg, Pa. Photo courtesy of The Haven at Center Hill
“You’re the only customer,” owner Mary Lapos said. “It’s an exclusive environment for you.”
At most bed and breakfasts, there’s a cozy camaraderie in meeting other guests at the meal table, but a stay at the Haven is truly a getaway. Whether you’re traveling alone or with a group, as the only guests, you have the run of the estate: a three-story 18th century stone manor house with a music room complete with antique grand piano (guests are welcome to play), manicured lawns and organic gardens, barns, even a yoga and massage center. Mary, who lives in a separate part of the house, prepares gourmet meals for guests who don’t want to leave the bucolic setting.
The motto here is “Relax, Rest, Regroup.”
“Mary has the unique talent of being able to give all her guests as much space as they need while remaining available for whatever they need,” Katherine Waters, longtime friend and guest said via e-mail. “The person who comes in the door that first day — high energy, cell phone in one hand, coffee in the other — changes after just one day. It’s transformative.”
Although the Haven can accommodate groups of up to 19, it also welcomes the single traveler. Vicki Robertson, of Atlanta, was visiting her daughter at nearby Bucknell University when another parent told her about the Haven. Vicki, who wasn’t looking forward to a night in a hotel, decided to give it a try.
“It was a stormy night, hailing, but I came in to lovely music and a fire in the fireplace,” she said. “It was so much more enjoyable, enriching than staying in a cold hotel.”
The property, Mary said, was “sort of a run-down farm” when she and her late husband bought it. In addition to the house, there was a barn where the couple housed the thoroughbred horses they raised.
After her husband died, Mary was at a loss as to what to do with her life. Friends half-jokingly suggested turning the property into a bed and breakfast. “They said ‘People would die to stay there; they’d pay you.’ A couple of glasses of wine, one thing led to another, and here I am,” Mary said.
“It’s really a class act,” Vicki, whose mother served as docent and guide at the Brandywine Museum outside of Philadelphia, said. “This has been restored properly, with history — and I know antiques.”
The manor houses a sunny music room, complete with antique Chickering concert grand piano, as well as a spacious great room and library across the hall. A collection of art by regionally and nationally known artists graces the wide central staircase, and guests may visit Mary’s own art studio on the third floor.
Family reunions, weddings, corporate retreats and art workshops take place in a stone and wood barn transformed into a dance hall and meeting area with two dozen hanging candelabra and unique architectural flourishes. “It’s kind of a funky place,” Mary said.
Sue Mathias, of Lewisburg, is organizing a 40th reunion at the Haven for a group of college friends.
“There’s just something so spectacular about the setting — it’s hard to imagine how idyllic it is,” she said. “It’s not in the middle of nowhere, but it feels like it is, so you could easily have business in Lewisburg or Danville.”
Other than a couple of neighbor’s horses grazing the rolling pastures, the only animal left at the farm is a dog. “She loves to flop down on your feet when you’re sitting anywhere,” Mary said. “She’s an integral part of the business.”
The Haven at Center Hill is open September through June. Rooms with private bath are $130 per night, double occupancy; $99 a night for rooms with shared bath. Rates include breakfast and a bottle of wine with two-night stay. A continental rate of $175 per night double occupancy includes evening meal on arrival and breakfast.
For information call 570-275-5361 or visit .
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