New Kent bed and breakfast carries historical significance

Vintager Inn owner Ken Fisher stands by a fireplace with masonry work and bricks that date as far back as 1855.

Andre' Jones photos

By definition, a vintager is anyone who assists in the harvesting of grapes. For Ken Fisher, it is the foundation for an evolution over 200 years in the making.

Fisher and his family own and operate the Vintager Inn, a bed and breakfast establishment on Route 249 near Quinton in New Kent that opened a year ago. Now, the inn is utilizing its wings by operating as an event venue for special occasions such as weddings.

Fisher, a retired military chaplain, said he has always had a fondness for the hospitality business.

“I’m used to service,” he said as he conducted a tour of the premises. “I didn’t want to rent out the home, but I knew we had to do something with it.”

That something became a complete refurbishment of a building that had its foundation built in 1855. However, two professional architects who have stayed inside the home both agree that the walls and structure of the house itself must have been built in the mid-1700s.

“The restoration of the house took 10 years,” continued Fisher. “As we were doing it, you could tell this house was old. There were no nails to hold the boards together. There were pegs. Roman numerals were used on the structure [as identification marks].”

The backstory on the house is one of the reasons guests visit, according to Fisher. He said he believes the house was built elsewhere and moved to the present location due to the builders having to locate a variety of different parts, such as locks from England.

Before Vintager Inn opened as a bed and breakfast, Fisher received calls for hosting weddings and other events at the venue. Making that decision seemed simple due to his belief that it was an honor to have people marry at the location.

Vintager Inn hosted its first wedding last year on Sept. 1. Now, the 65 acres tailor and cater to three different types of weddings.

But it’s not just the house that has historical significance. Two barns on the property also exceed the century age mark.

One of the barns belonged to Fisher’s grandfather, Wilber Fisher. The structure was disassembled and relocated from Quinton, more than five miles down the road. That barn features 95 percent of its original structure and also contains boards from chicken coops that were on the property as well.

Also on the property is one of New Kent Winery’s vineyards that produces grapes for white wine.

“If you could have seen it four months ago, it didn’t look like this,” Fisher commented on the ever-growing expansion on the property. “We are all about purposing and preserving history and sharing it with the public.”

The grounds of the establishment have seen a lot of history, too. According to Fisher, the land was used during the Civil War era as a training ground. The house has been burned, struck by lightning, and experienced damage from micro-bursts.

“But it’s still standing,” said Fisher with a smile.

With all the festivities and engagements going on around the historical grounds, Fisher wanted to let New Kent County residents know that the property is a jewel.

“A lot of founding families don’t realize how important New Kent is to Virginia and the United States,” he said. “There is public out there that would like to experience it.

“I want to see New Kent’s history and beauty shared with the rest of the world,” he continued. “We are excited that the Vintager Inn is part of this experience.”

Now, the one-year old establishment and its guest rooms that are named after different types of wine represent something that has gotten better with age.

The Vintager Inn can be contacted by calling (804) 938-5528 or visiting their web site at www.thevintagerinn.com.

Bedrooms in the Vintager Inn are decorative and boast original walls and ceiling structure.