DORCHESTER, N.B. — It sat empty for seven years, in need of some proper TLC.
Now, thanks to a couple who saw the potential in the once-majestic historic manor, the large, three-storey home that is nestled along the main street in Dorchester has been brought back to life.
Marisca Lucoe and Jeff Hovey have renovated and restored the mid-19th century home, built by one of the Fathers of Confederation, into an elegant yet homey bed and breakfast that has already started to draw visitors in from all around the world.
“It’s kind of a dream come true really,” said Lucoe. “I’ve wanted to do this for 30 years.”
Lucoe, who was running a home renovation business in Barrie, Ontario before their move to New Brunswick, said she had been searching for an older home to convert into a bed and breakfast in Ontario about three years ago when she came across the Dorchester property online.
“As soon as I saw it, I just fell in love with it,” she said.
Lucoe wanted to purchase the home right away, without even visiting the site, but Hovey persuaded her to make a trip to New Brunswick to see it first. That visit solidified her decision even more.
“It was exactly what I had pictured in my mind of what I wanted a bed and breakfast to look like,” she said.
The home, a rectangular, three-storey Second Empire structure, was once called the George Wentworth Chandler House. It is one of three similar homes in the vicinity built by Edward Barron Chandler as wedding presents for his sons. Edward Barron Chandler, a brilliant Amherst-born lawyer who entered politics and went on to become a Father of Confederation, a Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and one of the most important men behind the development of the province’s railways, had built his own Georgian mansion, now known as the Rocklynn, in Dorchester a few decades before.
Hovey said it’s been interesting to learn about the history of not only the home, but the entire Dorchester area, as they’ve been renovating.
“The history here is quite spectacular,” he said. “There were so many firsts here. So much of what shaped Canada, the people involved it, were from right here in Dorchester.”
Lucoe said she was thrilled that much of the architecture and the detailing of the home had remained in its original form – from the plaster and crown mouldings inside to the mansard roof with dormer windows and cornices and decorative brackets outside.
“That just really appealed to me,” she said.
“They’re like pieces of art, there’s just so many little characteristics,” added Hovey.
The Maplehurst Manor bed and breakfast has three large suites, consisting of elegant ensuite bathrooms, which are all named after prominent Dorchester residents from the village’s history books – Edward Barron Chandler, John Keillor, and Sir Pierre-Amand Landry.
The home also features a mix of period furnishings, restored fireplaces, and grand living and dining rooms.
“There’s still lots to do but we’re pretty excited about it,” said Lucoe.
The manor also features a large closed-in front porch and a grand entrance door that welcomes you in, where there is an original and elegant three-storey walnut staircase.
The only room the couple made any significant alterations to was the kitchen, said Lucoe, where they brought in modern appliances and equipment to turn it into a professional-style kitchen. This is where Lucoe makes the meals and baked goods for her guests.
A third-floor patio also provides visitors with incredible views of the hills of Westmorland County or the shores of the Bay of Fundy.
“It’s breathtaking, the area here,” said Hovey, also pointing out Dorchester’s central location in the Maritimes as being an asset for their business.
The couple says the renovations have been challenging, with the process taking more than a year and a half with many hurdles to overcome along the way.
“It’s certainly been an experience,” says Lucoe.
Their vision became reality in June, when the bed and breakfast officially opened for business.
Since that time, Lucoe and Hovey have enjoyed meeting people from all over the world – so far they’ve had guests from China, Germany, and all across the US and Canada.
Lucoe says running a B&B is even better than she ever imagined it would be.
“It’s really fun, I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Both have also been enjoying the solitude and tranquility of living in a small village in rural New Brunswick, while also getting to know their neighbours.
Hovey, who was born in Ontario but spent his summers along the Miramichi River near Boiestown, said he’s been constantly amazed by the generosity and support shown by the people in the community, not only for their businesss but for all the endeavors happening in Dorchester.
“The community support and the community pride, it’s huge,” he said. “And it makes you feel such a part of the community.”
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