Is Kilburnie in South Carolina, too?

Kilburnie, the Inn at Craig Farm in Lancaster
The Garden of the Waxhaws' very best Country Home Inn: Kilburnie, Where Memories Are Made. Kilburnie, the Inn at Craig Farm, is the perfect respite from today's pressures and is located within 30 minutes of Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Experience European-laced Southern hospitality and be at home in this tranquil, elegant, and spacious hide-out. Soak your troubles away in your private Ultrabath whirlpool. Kilburnie is located just north of Lancaster, yet guests arriving at the inn always comment about the immediate sense of being on a country estate. Kilburnie is one of two historical properties situated on historic Craig Farm. Guests love the tranquility and sophistication of this luxurious Bed and Breakfast. A faithfully restored Greek Revival style Antebellum home, Kilburnie is furnished with antiques and stylish reproduction furniture. The Inn's heart pine floors are strewn with Persian rugs. The house features a significant collection of historic prints and paintings and each of its five bedrooms (all with fireplaces and private baths) bears the name of individuals who made a mark on the region's and nation's history. Kilburnie is nestled amid woodlands and pastures where cattle and horses graze. The South Lawn is designed to resemble an outdoors room, which can accommodate tents for weddings and special events. Behind the inn is a nature path, which leads through the woodland where guests can stroll to enjoy the wildlife backyard habitat. Bridges spanning the branches make discovering the woods fun. 

Johannes Tromp, is a European-trained chef and New York City restauranteur with more than 25 years experience in the food service, special events, and hospitality business. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who, after moving to New York City in 1979, became Director of Catering for the Rainbow Room located on top of Rockefeller Center. Read his story in his own words below. Being a true Dutchman, the convivial Johannes, welcomes you to Kilburnie, the Inn at Craig Farm and will make sure that you enjoy every minute of your stay.

From Restaurateur to Innkeeper: “I was the General Manager of Windows on the World located on top of the now destroyed World Trade Center and later also responsible for the restaurant and catering services at the annual US Open Tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows. Kilburnie changed my life unexpectedly. In October 1998, I escaped Manhattan for a two-week vacation at historic Craig House in Lancaster, South Carolina. The local newspaper had a front page article about the plight of Kilburnie, a downtown antebellum home, which was slated to be demolished to make way for a new Eckerds drug store. The article caused me to take a closer look at Kilburnie. The circa 1827 home had been vacant for 45 years, neglected, and vandalized. The appearance of the home was a cosmetic nightmare. All the windows were broken, ceilings had collapsed, and small interior fires had marked the floors and walls. However the heart pine pegged frame of the structure was strong and in general good condition. Kilburnie deserved to be saved from the sledgehammers. After a few phone calls to New York, my partner John Craig and I decided to save Kilburnie by moving it to our farm property, a 3 ½ mile distance. I never went back to New York and stayed on the farm to oversee the restoration project. The move itself was very complicated. The piazzas, chimneys, and the second & third story had to be dismantled, board by board, beam by beam, and brick by brick. Each piece of lumber was marked to insure its proper re-placement during the restoration phase. Only the first floor was moved in one piece to its new foundation. On May 21, 2003, after 16 hectic months during which the restoration took place, Kilburnie was officially dedicated by the governor of South Carolina and started its new life as a luxury Country Inn Bed and Breakfast with me suddenly being the innkeeper, chef, laundry & cleaning person, gardener and host. Sometimes I reflect on my previous hectic life in New York City and realize that I truly have found heaven. I now have actually time for really getting to know people rather than the obligatory casual acknowledgment of the restaurant guests at Windows on the World. At Windows on the World I directed over 450 hospitality professionals. Now I do it all myself and am loving it.”

Recipes included in the cookbook and used by permission of Johannes Tromp: Banana Muffins w/Orange Peel, Kilburnie Oven Shirred Eggs, Southern Pecan Peaches.

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This BnB (along with delicious recipes and wonderful stories) is featured in Sunrise Sunset Across America, Bed & Breakfast cookbook. Purchase it by clicking on the link in the upper sidebar. Click on the review to read more about it.