This elegant 8,000-square-foot Georgian Revival home located in Virginia hunt country was built in 1909 by a prominent Lynchburg attorney, David H. Howard. A few years ago, Phil and Ann Ripley bought the structure. They converted it into a magnificent bed and breakfast which features Flemish bond brickwork on the exterior and mahogany woodwork inside that lend a formal and elegant feeling to the Federal Crest Inn.
As you enter the inn, a pair of classical columns stand sentry to a grand central staircase which leads to the four guest rooms on the second level. Unique mantels adorn the home's seven gas-log fireplaces which are on display in the parlor, dining room, library, and three of the bedrooms. Each of the guest rooms are named for trees native to Virginia and decorated in a motif that reflects the name. All the rooms feature queen-sized beds (two have canopy beds), down comforters, antique furniture, luxurious linens, and terry-cloth bathrobes. A basket of snacks and beverages are placed in the room each night. Private portable telephones, cable television, and a Jacuzzi round out the list of amenities.
Guests can play tunes on the jukebox in the "50s Cafe" located off the dining room on the first floor. You can also relax in front of the sixty-inch large-screen television in a third floor space that also doubles as a meeting room.
Antique shopping, wineries, and golfing are all a short distance away. Civil War buffs can explore Appomattox and the Confederate Cemetery. Sightseers may want to take a breathtaking drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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