About the Chelsea House Victorian Inn
Chelsea House Victorian Inn was built around 1878 for Michigan State Senator James Gorman, a politician, lawyer and cigar manufacturer who made a substantial fortune with his tobacco business, which was located in the commercial building right next to his home. He occupied the home for 30 years. Like many larger homes after the Depression and WW II, when housing was in short supply, it was split up and rented as apartments.
It was converted from an apartment building in 1994 to its present use as a Bed & Breakfast. The restoration process included the removal of many temporary walls, mini kitchens and the stripping of layers of wallpaper, paint, and vinyl flooring. Much of the original woodwork survived all of the transitions the house experienced since 1881 but was abused and therefore it was all stripped and refinished. Much of the restoration was done by former owner Jim Myles, previously a licensed builder and restoration contractor.
Jim refinished much of the intricate interior and exterior detailing, door casings, fanwork, etching, and scrolling, all characteristics of the Queen Anne Victorian style home of the late 1800’s. The two story open banister in the front foyer is of an Eastlake style. Be sure to make note of the original door hinges and window locks. There was no detail overlooked in the homes of this era. It has been pointed out by our local lumber experts that the clear pine used was not unusual for its time. Sugar Pine forests were vast in Michigan in the 1800’s. Now, however, those forests have long since been depleted.
If you look three doors to the east you will see a “twin” replica home known as the G.W. Palmer House, built by the same builder. Originally, they were placed on adjacent lots; over time, the lots were subdivided and newer homes intervened.
Room Logs
HOLMES ROOM
It has been our pleasure to visit your abode, as we meet our friends from the Heather House, Marine City. We ate hearty and well at the Common Grill, teased ourselves with the artwork in the galleries, and were mesmerized by the Purple Rose’s introduction of the play “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Elusive Ear”.
However, your house is the piece de resistance! It is a masterful restoration, and we will be back, especially after the scrumptious breakfast!
A wrong turn brought us to Chelsea the first time last year, but this time we are strictly here as planned to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your lovely home! The added special touches of robes, slippers, and the turning down of the bed with chocolates on our pillows was just wonderful! This was a very relaxing and enjoyable “first evening out” from our terrific 15 month old son. We look forward to returning in the future to enjoy your hospitality and delicious food! (The crepes are amazing – as is all the food!)
What a delightful break from an endless succession of “business” hotels. Too many nights away from home makes me crave the comforts of an inviting inn like Chelsea House. Back on the road tomorrow – refreshed with a night of porch swings, feather pillows, and church bells. Heaven.
Ahhhh! What a wonderful house … and a wonderful sleep … and wonderful breakfasts. We wanted a weekend get-a-way from the stresses of our daily routine and Chelsea has given us the weekend fun and quite we longed for. The great play at the Purple Rose Theater last night, Norma & Wanda, was a good beginning to our Chelsea experience. Our overnight stay is all we hoped for. Soon we will start our walking and shopping tour, quenching our thirst with small town experiences. We’ve had a great winter break!
Glazier Room
So, we are sad to leave our little retreat, but if we stayed any longer we would have to buy larger clothes to accommodate the delicious breakfasts.
This is our 2nd trip to the Chelsea House just because. We love the hospitality, the quaint town, and this wonderful room. It’s snowing outside, but the fire inside is toasty warm and the duvet cover kept us as snug as a bug. It’s like a storybook stay!
Thanks for bringing a bit of relaxation to our very busy
Spent a lovely morning relaxing in the Glazier Room at Chelsea House Inn B&B. Looking forward to breakfast adventures shortly … by the aromas wafting up the stairs, they’re sure to be breakfast delights!
Good medicine, this!
Great B&B. Beautiful rooms – what a great restoration! Nice touches in each room. Truly a getaway, close to town but has such a homey, warm feel. Jim, a remarkable host – made us feel like “family” rather than “renters”. The food, breakfast was wonderful. Best crepes and Blueberry French Toast.
What a treasure little Chelsea is. Continued good luck in its preservation – worth all your hard hours. Loved the Common Grill – worth the drive!
This short trip away from home has been absolutely amazing – I have never felt quite this relaxed and pampered after such a short time. My husband and I are here on our first wedding anniversary – I think this beats our honeymoon in the Caribbean as far as accommodations, if nothing else. From the minute we walked in the door we have been treated as “VIPs” – Jim & Kim go out of their way to make their guests comfortable and pampered. The room was amazing – the bed was so comfortable, the fireplace really gave an ambiance of romance. The amenities – robe, slippers, refreshments – they really set this apart from other places. Breakfast was great and the conversation with Jim & Kim was like talking with old friends. We will definitely be back – the Chelsea House will be another yearly tradition for us! Thanks Jim & Kim for allowing us 2 days away from the monotony and rush of our “normal” days – this was truly fantastic!
P.S. – The Common Grill was tremendous and the Purple Rose Theatre was fantastic. Highly recommend the two!
Thank you for your wonderful hospitality in your beautiful home. The restoration work you have done is incredible! The room was very warm and cozy – I loved the fireplace! The breakfast was delicious. It was truly a special birthday celebration. We’ll definitely be back.
CONGDON ROOM
This has been a delightful introduction to a B&B stay – my first such in a long life of many travels. I look forward to other such experiences and hope they measure up to the standards of Chelsea House.
The snowfall has added to the beauty of this lovely small town and made it easy to imagine oneself in a previous century – but with today’s comforts. The warmth and kindness of the hosts has softened the ache of a very changed Christmas.
A beautiful, warm night, the crickets and katydids trilling away. I am rocking in the rocker, contemplating and marveling at such a fun weekend with perfect 80 degree, blue-sky days. And tonight, the harvest moon. My sister and I were here a year ago, I am delighted to be back here again. Different cast of family.
What hidden treasures both Chelsea and this Inn are! We ended up here because we planned to visit Ann Arbor during a weekend that was both the Purdue game and Parents’ Weekend – so everything was sold out in town – but now that we’ve been here, we’d always come back to Chelsea rather than Ann Arbor! We love the historic charm of Main Street,ZouZou’s Saturday night music, the Chelsea Market … the feeling of a real town without a single chain store!
Robert’s Penthouse
Its awesome and you will not want to leave!