Historical. Glamorous. Unique. That's how Tarah Riegel describes the residential vacation property she rents out in Washington, Missouri. However, some believe the "unique" association also comes from the fresh, Schulte's Bakery doughnuts Tarah delivers to her guests for breakfast!
Regardless, with the name of Brick Rose Beds and Donuts, Tarah's property exudes various levels of mystique.
"We're different in that our customers rent the entire house when they stay. They can stay here and get away from the world the entire time, or come and go, as they like," explains Tarah, who renovated this stately home that was built in 1895.
The multistory location was used as a personal home for 100-plus years, and what is now the MILQ Room (Mother-in-Law Quarters) was used as a veterinary office for more than 50 years by two different veterinarians.
"We lovingly restored the house to its original beauty, including five full bedrooms. Each of the four bathrooms are full bathrooms, with one on each floor, two on the first floor," says Tarah "Our goal was to make Brick Rose Beds & Donuts not just a vacation home, but like a little antique shop, full of eclectic items and conversation starters."
The Brick Rose backyard has a built-in concrete pool and hot tub with off-street parking for six vehicles.
The historic character and flare shines brightly at the residence, complete with vintage amenities, a clawfoot sink, time-period furnishings and locally inspired decorations -- but not to worry, a Keurig machine and three refrigerators greet vacationers in the kitchen.
"Guests can cook or grill outside, if they wish, or they can walk to nearby Washington restaurants or have meals catered in," says Tarah.
The Brick Rose's first guests christened the house during 2016, and its charm caught on quickly. Some Brick Rose guests have stayed there for family weekends, others have rented it for wedding parties or romantic couples' escapes. This year, Tarah says many customers are coming from other St. Louis regional communities, with those wanting to feel like they got away from home for a while without having to travel too far.
The local town ambiance helps to transport guests, be it walking along the river, visiting a close-by winery, taking in live music, admiring local art, shopping at the seasonal farmer's market, scouting for historic structures or learning about distinctive German heritage. After all, some of the earliest settlers in the Washington area were literally followers of Daniel Boone, who blazed a trail from the hills of Kentucky to the wilderness of East-Central Missouri. Washington Historical Society members offer self-guided walking tour materials for the local area.
One bonus offered by the Washington location is that Amtrak has a intercity train station, called WAH, located just 3 minutes from the Brick Rose, so those who would like to venture to Hermann (station called HEM) for a day can board the train in the morning and return to Washington that evening. Just look up Missouri River Runner Train 311 or 313 for current schedule details. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decrease in travel demand, most Amtrak long distance routes will operate tri-weekly beginning in October.)
Tarah also manages a second, 4,000-square foot contemporary vacation rental property in Washington called Hidden Creek Getaway, located on 5 private acres off of Bethlehem Church Road.
311 West Fifth Street
Washington, MO 63090