Historic Dasher House—urban oasis near downtown

Old house fans will love Dasher House! Built in 1913 on top of a hill within walking distance to downtown & the historic district, its site on 13th Street hill means you enjoy panoramic views. There’s a brand new HVAC system & large capacity on demand hot water heater, enabling everyone to shower without running out of hot water. There’s a 5 burner gas grill on the patio in the summer so you can enjoy cooking & dining outdoors. The garden & patio are lovely places to relax in warm weather. The space Dasher House is located in an old area of town on a large lot with many homes of a similar age. We live right next door. Dasher House is 4 blocks up the hill from the well-known Juliana Square Historic district, the largest historic district in West Virginia. This home is located in an urban environment on a main street near the downtown area. There is off street parking on the property for two cars, and free on street parking for many more. The garden at the Dasher House garden is lovely three season garden. Our garden next door is too, and you get a nice view of it from parts of Dasher House. I love daylilies and currently have nearly 90 different cultivars growing on the two properties, but as a former master gardener I grow a little bit of lots of different ornamental flowers and shrubs. The blooms start in early March and usually go up to November. Dasher House is large—over 2300 sq ft—and can sleep many people, but please note there is only one full bathroom on the second level and a half bathroom on the basement level. Dasher House is currently set up to accommodate 3 couples on the second floor. We have twin size air beds we can bring out if you have children. There is a five burner gas grill which we can make available to you in the summer if you let us know ahead of your stay that you want to use it. We will need to make sure it’s clean, and make sure there is propane, before you arrive, so do let us know if you might want to use it. You can seat 8 people to dine outside on the patio. In addition, there is a glider, two rockers, and a bench for seating there. There is a ring video doorbell near the back door to the porch. it is always on, and motion activated to record video and sound. The home has high speed internet and Wi-Fi with a good signal throughout the house. There is plenty to do in the area. * Take a Sternwheeler ride down the Ohio and visit Blennerhassett Island and mansion. * Tour the unique and intriguing historic Henderson Hall plantation. * Take a ride on the Valley Gem Sternwheeler and cruise rivers once navigated by George Washington while the Captain narrates on the founding of Marietta and other local history. * Check out the oldest Five and Dime store still operating in the United States—Berdine’s Five and Dime in Harrisville, WV. * Take a self guided, free walking tour of the Juliana Square Historic District and enjoy the sight of the many elaborate, historic mansions and buildings which comprise West Virginia’s largest historic district. Guest access Guests have access to the majority of the house, including parts of the basement, with the following exceptions: the entire third floor and two locked rooms in the basement which are storage areas. The outdoor space--patio and garden--are for guests (although our lawn and garden people may be by to maintain them while you are there). Guests do NOT have access to either garage on the property. Other things to note There is a ring video doorbell near the door to the back porch. It is always on, but is motion activated. You may not turn it off, cover it up, cut off the Wi-Fi signal to it, or tamper with it in any way. It records video with sound. Because of age of the house; some of the original, irreplaceable features of the house; some of the furniture; and the multitude of stairs; Dasher House may not the best choice for families with children from crawling age to age six or so. Many families with small children have stayed at Dasher House and enjoyed their stay but, we would prefer if you have children in this crawling to kindergarten age range, that you discuss with us before booking so we can ensure your family is a good fit for the house and will be comfortable staying there. Here are just a few things to consider: * Some irreplaceable items, like the original 1913 glass light fixtures in the second floor bedrooms, are reachable by children who are standing on the beds. * The large screen TV is placed on a low stand and is not secured to the wall (there is no way to do it). * None of the tall furniture (china cabinet, chests of drawers) is secured to the wall. *There are a few sharp edged end tables, and several end tables with glass or mirrored tops; some of these could easily be tipped over by a toddler pulling themselves up. * All the window blinds throughout the house have cords. Chasing after little ones might not make for the most relaxing stay. We do our best by providing safety gates for the stairs, locks for some doors, etc., but it isn't possible to completely childproof this home. If you have children in this age range, please discuss with us before booking, so we can make sure you'll be happy staying here and your children will be safe. We provide some items for guests with small children. We have a baby monitor, a high chair, a potty chair, a sink step stool, a diaper genie, and a few toys, games, and books. We have safety gates we can install on the stairs. We can provide cabinet locks and safety caps for the electrical outlets, and safety covers for the stove controls but you’ll need to put them in place yourself, if you wish to use them. We don’t have a pack n’ play or crib. We do, however, have crib linens. We don't allow animals because of possible damage to the floors, woodwork, carpets and furniture and because we live next door and have a dog who reacts poorly to other animals. If you are traveling with a pet, there are some great doggie daycare and pet boarding facilities in the area I can recommend. We live next door and have a medium to large rescue dog, and he does not get along with other animals. He's also hand shy (we think he was abused) so if you see us out with him, please don't reach out to pet him until we give you the OK. If you are afraid of dogs, let us know and we will keep him out of your way. He is never let loose--he is always on a leash. You probably won’t even set eyes on him unless you see us out walking him.