The Shadow
A Florida woman with a doctorate in hotel and restaurant management plans to transform a stately Rosedale home into a bed and breakfast inn.
Zoning for the Frank Hammond House Bed and Breakfast was approved Tuesday by the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors.
Dr. Lyn Pickeral said she decided to purchase the Rosedale property after conducting an extensive marketing analysis.
Pickeral, who has resided in Pace, Fla., for eight years, will live on the third floor of the home while she operates the bed and breakfast inn.
Pickeral said she came close to purchasing property in Franklin County for her bed and breakfast inn, but chose Alleghany County “because of the community.”
The Hammond House, located at the corner of Midland Trail and Rosedale Avenue, was constructed in 1911 by Frank Hammond Sr., who was the grandfather of current Rosedale resident Charles Hammond. Frank Hammond Sr. worked as a traveling salesman and once owned a dry goods store in Charleston, W.Va.
For the past 26 years, the house has been owned by Louie Gibson, who along with his wife, Mary, recently relocated to the Richmond area. Pickeral will close on her purchase of the property Friday.
Three Rosedale residents, Judy Neighbors, Paul B. Lacy III, and Kathy Putnam spoke in favor of Pickeral’s zoning application Tuesday night.
“I think it’s a great idea for Alleghany County to have this bed and breakfast,” said Neighbors, who lives next door to the property.
The zoning application was also endorsed by David Kleppinger, executive director of the Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation.
Kleppinger said Alleghany County “has a need for more distinctive, high quality lodging choices.” He referred to the Hammond House as one of the most “architecturally significant” dwellings in the county.
Pickeral said she plans to maintain the architectural integrity of the house as she transforms it into a bed and breakfast inn. She plans to attain the services of Frazier & Associates, a Staunton architectural firm that specializes in building preservation within historic districts. Rosedale Subdivision was named to the Virginia Landmarks Register in December 1997.
The two-and-one-half story Hammond House features Classical Revival architecture. The first floor features a central hall with red gum paneling and a staircase.
Since 2005, Pickeral has served as a visiting professor of hospitality, recreation and resort management at the University of West Florida, located in Pensacola. She has resided in Florida for eight years and is originally from the Washington, D.C., area. From 1999-2001, Pickeral operated a business, “Helpful Things by Lyn,” in Maryville, Tenn.
“I am very pleased to see you invest in the community and state your belief in the community,” Clifton Forge East Supervisor Mac Campbell said to Pickeral Tuesday night.
Supervisors approved conditional rezoning that will change the property from R-1 Residential to R-2 residential.
“All other uses under R-2 zoning have been eliminated under the conditional rezoning,” County Planner Shelly Dudley said.
Pickeral will also be issued a special-use permit for operating a bed and breakfast in R-2 zoning.
