20 Beautiful American Foursquare Bed & Breakfasts and Vacation Rentals

Last Updated on March 22, 2024

Recently I came across a news article about a Foursquare farmhouse the owners had converted to a successful B&B.  And it got me wondering – wouldn’t be great to have a “home away from home” similar to my American Foursquare home? So I scoured the internet and here’s my list of American Foursquare Bed and Breakfasts and Vacation Rentals – from coast to coast and in between!

I’ll be right upfront I’ve never stayed at any of these places. I have no affiliates nor receive commission from these listings. I can’t give and guarantees on the quality of your stay. (If you do have a horrible experience, let me know and I’ll remove them from the list!).

From the looks of the pics, most of these American Foursquare homes have been renovated (usually with additions) to accommodate lodgers. But if you know where to look you will still see the endearing charm and character of the Foursquare!

Enjoy! (By the way if you want a refresher on the architectural style on an American Foursquare, click HERE).

Bed and Breakfasts

1. Rockhaven – Upper Town Harpers Ferry, WV

Located in Harpers Ferry’s residential Historic District, WV, Rockhaven is a 1927 American Foursquare built for William A. Saunders, a Storer College professor (click here learn more about Rockhaven’s original owners). Hosts Christian and Lynn Pechuekonis offer two spacious, contemporary guest suites (see more in the video below).

Rockhaven is within easy walking distance of the Harpers Ferry National Park yet far enough away from the train tracks that guests hear only a distant wail (if any sound at all).

I was lucky enough to stay at Rockhaven, and 100% agree with its perfect location (I didn’t hear a train). It’s a special place, and I hope you soon get the opportunity to stay with Christian and Lynn.

Several good eating establishments with convenient dinner hours are also within walking distance. It’s definitely a sweet spot for couples, but it is also ideal for solo adventurers, writers and artists.

With nearby views of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, this American Foursqure Bed and Breakfast is also within walking distance of the C&O Canal Trail, the Appalachian Trail (only 1  block from the AT Conservancy visitor center), the Amtrak/MARC train station, and Storer College. Upon request, the hosts will provide transportation to and from the train station.

Website:  http://rockhavenbnb.com

2. Riverside B&B – Beaver, PA

This circa 1907 traditional two-and-a-half-story foursquare B&B is located less than an hour away from Pittsburgh. Located in the Bridgewater Historic District at the confluence of two rivers, the riverfront property is within walking distance of several restaurants and bars with frequent live music venues. You can fish, rent a kayak or paddleboard, or enjoy a quiet stroll by the river.

The inn has a Victorian flair and each room has a local historical reference. As elaborated in an interview about converting their home into a B&B, entire home has been renovated with great attention to detail while preserving the original woodwork and crown molding in each room. Fine art and local artists are featured throughout the inn. All rooms are ensuite, some with a river view; room rates are per night. Breakfast is served in an ample dining room with a working fireplace.

Website: https://www.riversidebb.com/

3. Candlelite Inn – Ludington, Michigan

Candlelite Inn Bed & Breakfast guests are never too early or too late for a delightful, delicious hot breakfast with numerous options, served family style, taking into account your dietary preferences (gluten free, vegan, etc), with fresh local and organic products whenever possible.  It is a pleasure to serve those who are gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, or have other dietary restrictions.

Guest events held at the Inn include private concerts with singer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Wiser, Fourth of July celebrations (parade goes right by the house) and the annual Christmas Cookie Bed & Breakfast Tour in December.

Candlelite Inn Bed & Breakfast is located on beautiful historical Ludington Avenue near Lake Michigan’s best sandy beaches (including Stern’s Park voted best beach in Michigan).  It’s just blocks away from shopping, dining, brew pubs, antiques, art and photography galleries and Love Wines. 

Website: https://www.candleliteinnludington.com/

4. Black Swan – Jefferson, TX

The Black Swan Bed & Breakfast, built in 1904, has an expansive history. Originally housed a single family for over 70 years, then was sold and became a restaurant named Ruth Ann’s. Ruth Ann was favored for her Sunday dinners of baked chicken, passed around the dining rooms on teacarts. 

Later the location was sold again and in the 80’s, became the Black Swan Restaurant, which was very successful for many, many years, serving steaks and cajun fare.  After the restaurant closed, it became a bookstore on one side, with a beauty shop on the other, known to all as The Beauty and the Book.  

In 2011, the Black Swan was purchased by its current owners Christi & Darrell Gaither, who converted it to a Bed & Breakfast and wine bar / cafe.  This American Foursquare Bed and Breakfast offer two suites with a large balcony with sweeping views of the town. 

The town of Jefferson is nestled between 2 beautiful lakes, Caddo Lake and Lake of the Pines and boasts brick streets, horse-drawn carriages, antebellum homes, and sits on the Big Cypress Bayou.  

Website:http://www.visittheblackswan.com/

5. Charm – Provincetown, MA

Charm is located in the heart of bustling Provincetown, the northern tip of beautiful Cape Cod. (I highly recommend the trip!) Staying at Charm means that you are just steps to all the fun. Restaurants, shops, galleries and nightlife are all within easy walking distances of your guest room. And in the summer months, you can easily reach Provincetown’s beaches via shuttle or bicycle.

Their 8 room guesthouse features private bathrooms, complimentary continental breakfast served on their front porch, and in room mini-refrigerators.

Originally built in 1917 by the Days family, it is reportedly a kit house. In sum, future homeowners purchased house plans and all the materials needed (i.e. lumber, doors, windows, nails, fixtures, shingles, etc…) through a catalog. All these items were shipped to homeowners by freight train for them to collect, transport to their property and build it (from a ~70-page manual!).  Take that, IKEA!

In the 1940s, the property was sold and ever since has spent the last several decades welcoming guests from the around the world, including housing Navy officers for the nearby Naval Mine Testing Facilities. 

This B&B is located a short drive from my house (3 hours). One day I hope to pop in and say Hello!

Website: https://www.charmprovincetown.com/

6. Clifton House – Natchez, MS​

Built in 1905 and owned by the Stowers Family since the 1920s, Clifton House has been lovingly maintained, modernized, and beautifully decorated.

Clifton House sits directly on the banks of the Mississippi River high atop the Natchez Bluff.  Guests enjoy amazing uninterrupted, breathtaking views of the Mighty Mississippi while relaxing on the front porch.

Located in a quiet residential neighborhood immediately adjacent to Historic Downtown Natchez, guests are just a short walk from Antebellum Mansions, Restaurants, Shopping, Museums, a Casino, a Brewery,  and several Bars, many of which offer live music on a regular basis.

Website: https://www.cliftonhousenatchez.com/

7. Gaslight Inn – Seattle, WA

The Gaslight Inn’s interior is appointed in exacting detail (awarded with landmark status by the city of Seattle in October 2015), with strikingly rich, dark colors, oak paneling, and an enormous entryway and staircase.

The comfortable and unique guestrooms are furnished with quality double or queen-sized beds, refrigerator and television. Many rooms feature private baths and some also have decks with fabulous views or fireplaces. The living room, with its large oak fireplace, is always an inviting room, as is the library.

Through the late spring and summer, relax and unwind at poolside with a glass of wine after a long, busy day. This private, in-ground, heated pool with several decks and interesting plant arrangements is found at the back of the inn.

This three-story, 7,700-square-foot house was built for $7,000 in 1907, in a neighborhood (Capitol Hill) for the city’s wealthy entrepreneurs. It was built by Paul Singerman, a business owner and philanthropist who was also a notable character in the Central Area’s Jewish history. By the 1920s, the building had become a rooming house — a precursor to the boom of multi-unit dwellings that would pop up during the Great Depression. The current owner, Stephen Bennett, bought the house in 1983 and has restored it to its former glory (and beyond).

The Gaslight Inn is conveniently located on Capitol Hill which is the city’s most exciting neighborhood that also happens to be closest to the center of the city and only about 20 minutes north from the airport. All of Seattle’s main attractions including Pike Place Market, are either in walking distance, a short taxi ride or a metro bus ride away.

Website: https://www.gaslight-inn.com/

8. Oasis on Eisenhower – Loveland, CO

Welcome to the World’s First Museinn!  Hosts Jason & Lindsay are creating a blend of museum and inn that blends art, history, science and fantasy with your stay. Their mission? To give you an amazing night’s sleep with a greater experience – one that makes you feel moved, think deeply, and notice the wonderfully unique world around you.

This kid- and pet-friendly Museinn offers a handful of themed rooms, including a 1950s suite, Nostalgia two-bedroom Suite (with full kitchen!) and an Enchanted Forest Suite. Plus there is a heated 19′ swim spa (aka combination hot tub and exercise pool).  

Website: https://www.oasis-on-eisenhower.com/

9. Footbridge North Hotel – Wells, ME

The Footbridge North Hotel, located in Wells Maine, just minutes from miles of white sandy beaches in York.

Wells is known as the “The friendliest town in Maine”. I’ve been to Wells, and honestly, it’s fantastic. I’d buy a beach house up there if I could afford it.

Per this seasonal hotel, our “relaxing little hotel by the sea” is located in the center of Wells with easy access to the I-95 highway (something you will be very happy to have), Amtrak and close to many nearby attractions. As part of our focus towards the adult traveler, we have listed many activities and attractions below that are well suited to couples and friends with an adventurous spirit!

Website: https://footbridgenorth.com/

10. Mansion on Sawmill Lake – Manning, TX

Mansion on Sawmill Lake, located in the former sawmill town, Manning Texas, has four guest rooms in the main house. All guest rooms are unique, but what they all have in common is their warmth, charm and impeccable attention to detail.

There is a rich history of this sawmill town and house via this YouTube video. This house, the only painted house in town in the early 1900s was originally the sawmill manager’s home. In 1941, the old mill site, two lakes (the upper reserve lake and the mill pond), the “old house” (which was the only painted house in town), 1,200 acres of land and all of the sawmill ruins was sold to the family that still owns it.

In addition to lodging, this 100+ year old home, which is listed on the state historical registry, hosts weddings and has a chapel onsite. Photos below courtesy of Texas County Forest Retreat.

Website: https://texasforestcountryretreat.com/

11. Marianna Stolz House – Spokane, WA

[NOTE: As of March 2024, this bed & breakfast has been reopened. Photos to be posted shortly.

Built in 1908, this stately residence is not only surrounded by century old trees displaying the best craftsmanship of the day, but is Spokane’s Oldest Bed and Breakfast and a Registered Historic Landmark.

Once inside, after pausing on the wide wrap-around veranda, guests encounter high ceilings, oriental rugs, fir woodwork, leaded glass, and shining maple floors. Guests have exclusive use of the spacious and elegant parlor, sitting, and dining rooms, which are all furnished with oriental rugs and authentic period pieces.

This classic American foursquare home is situated on the lovely tree lined streets near Gonzaga University and close to downtown for easy access to the Convention Center, Opera House, Ag Center, and the Arena.

Website: http://www.mariannastoltzhouse.com/index_mbl.htm

12. Sweet Autumn Inn – Lake Mills, WI

NOTE: As of January 2024, it appears this B&B is closed. I’m leaving it in here in hopes that it reopen in the future.

Sitting on nearly an acre of land, this charming 1910 Classic American Foursquare Bed and Breakfast provides the feeling of being in the heart of the country while only minutes from downtown shopping and restaurants with  its many towering pines and maples, and flower gardens.  

Outside, the large front porch invites you to sit and relax. Inside, you’ll enjoy mainly details original to the house, like leaded glass windows, built-in china closets, and original oak and maple woodwork revealing old world craftsmanship. 

Sweet Autumn Inn is located in Lake Mills, which is located along Rock Lake, one of southern Wisconsin’s cleanest lakes.  Attaractions include the Glacial Drumlin Bike and Recreation Trail (one of the oldest rails to trails in Wisconsin) appealing to bikers, hikers, skiers, boaters and bird watchers.

Website: https://sweetautumninn.com/

13. Bordeaux Inn – Lodi, CA

NOTE: As of January 2024, it appears this B&B is closed. I’m leaving it in here in hopes that it reopens in the future.

This 110+year old American Foursquare Bed and Breakfast has been modernized and is located just a 5 minute walk from bustling downtown Lodi. About 85 award-winning wineries are no more than a 10 minute drive away.  Each tastefully decorated bedroom has its own private bathroom, air conditioning, HD TV and breakfast included. 

Website: https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/bordeaux-inn-lodi.html

14. The Honored Guest Bed & Breakfast – Hillsdale, NY

The Honored Guest Bed & Breakfast boasts an impressive architectural heritage. The house was built in 1910 as the guesthouse on Ledgewood Estate, the country home of the renowned architect, James Renwick, Jr. (St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Smithsonian Institute). In a rather dramatic departure from Renwick’s signature Gothic Revival style, his family chose to celebrate the austere simplicity of the American Foursquare / Prairie House design of the equally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Perched atop a 3 ½ acre parcel of manicured lawns, towering evergreens, glorious old maples and perennial gardens, today’s honored guests will enjoy design elements retained from the Arts and Crafts period. 

Unusually large vertical-paned blown glass windows grace the first floor, dark oak molding and gorgeous hardwood floors are found throughout, and, typical of Wright’s designs, the natural surroundings outdoors are incorporated into the house’s interior design for both visual pleasure and temperature control. In deference to Wright’s vision, the oversized living room is now furnished with authentic Arts and Crafts pieces.

This American Foursquare Bed and Breakfast is located is the beautiful Southern Berkshires region of the historic Hudson Valley with a variety of nearby attractions, and just two miles from the Massachusetts border and 12 miles from the Connecticut border.

Website: http://honoredguest.com/

15. Bed & Breakfast Inn Seattle – Seattle, WA

This American foursquare, built in 1902, has been remodeled and offers European bed and breakfast style guest rooms with comfy beds and lofty down comforters surrounded by sateen triple sheeting.  It has a balcony that faces Mount Rainier and you can see Lake Washington, Bellevue and the Cascade Mountain Range from the balcony rooms.

This American Foursquare Bed & Breakfast is located in the heart of Capitol Hill, Seattle’s vibrant and diverse neighborhood known for Zagat rated dining, trendy cafe’s, locally owned boutiques, and a thriving nightlife & music scene. Yet it is tucked away on a quiet street three blocks away from it all. Downtown Seattle is within walking distance. Pike Place Market, Convention Center, Madison Park, UW Campus and Stadium are just ten to fifteen minutes away via light rail or bus. 

Website: https://www.seattlebednbreakfast.com/

16. Whitefish Bay Farm Bed and Breakfast-  Sturgeon Bay, WI

Note: As of March 2024, this bed and breakfast has retired.

Located on the quiet side in Door County, Wisconsin, this restored 1908 American Foursquare farmhouse has been open as a B&B since 1991. The old fashioned charm of wood floors and wide baseboards is found in each of the four air conditioned guest rooms. Each room features a queen or a king sized bed, comfortable chairs, good reading lamps, and an attached private bathroom.

Each morning an abundant homemade breakfast is served, with many of the fruits, most of the vegetables and the “farm fresh” eggs are grown on the farm or produced locally.

Following breakfast, a tour of the farm is offered to all guests affording guests the opportunity to learn how the farm operates and to meet the sheep on a close, personal basis.  

The farm is located next to Whitefish Dunes State Park and near Clark Lake and Cave Point. It is along the Door County back road bicycle route and within easy driving distance of all Door County attractions.

Website: https://whitefishbayfarm.com/bb

Vacation Rentals

17. Allegan Gardens –  Saugatuck, MI

Allegan Gardens vacation rental is an “escape from everyday life for every season”. This charming 1910 farmhouse was rescued in 2012 and lovingly restored and updated with every modern amenity to make for an enjoyable getaway for family and friends. (If you want to see the home’s transformation since 2012, check out it’s Instagram feed).

This 2,100 ft2 American Foursquare sleeps 9 people (4 bedrooms) and has a gorgeous flower-filled private backyard (with heated pool!) to relax and enjoy.

Located on 1.5 acres of lush property with a secret garden feel, this home is walking distance from the downtown Saugatuck shopping, restaurant and boating district.

Saugatuck is nestled along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in a backdrop of stunning natural beauty (included award-winning beaches), rich with character, culture, and creature comforts.

Website: https://www.vrbo.com/475602

18. Lincoln House – Hood River, OR

This vacation rental might be a new build, but still has an American Foursquare Craftsman-quality.  Spacious and light with wonderful furnishings, this 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom sleeps 8 and has a chef’s stainless kitchen and soaking tub with a mountain view. 

This vacation rental is located in the heart of Hood River, the Windsurfing Capital of the World, also known for its orchards and wineries.  Hood River is part of the Columbia River Gorge, with its mountains and rivers that offers the vacationer and recreation enthusiast the opportunity to windsurf, mountain bike, kayak, golf, ski, hike, fish, or just relax in the unhurried pace of a natural paradise. 

Website: https://arrivednow.com/vacation-rental/lincoln-house/

19. Sweet Retreat – Cape Charles, VA

Sweet Retreat was lovingly renovated in Spring 2018 to create the perfect beach getaway.  The home is located only 9 houses from the beach with calm, perfect waves for little ones and peaceful sunset walk on the beach, and walking distance to Cape Charles’ charming downtown.

The home boasts 3600 sq. feet of space with two living areas, a large dining room and fully equipped kitchen, several bedrooms, and a new outdoor shower.  

Website: https://www.vrbo.com/4841056ha

20. The Ola Babcock Miller House – Washington, IA

Once home to IA’s first female secretary of state, Ola Babcock Miller, this house tells a unique story. Ola Babcock Miller won an underdog victory in the ‘30s that catapulted her to the heart of Iowa’s politics. She is well-known in the state for starting the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol, and the state library is named for her.

She wasn’t the only member of the family in the public eye. Her son-in-law George Gallup, a professor at the time of Ola’s secretary of state race, correctly predicted the race’s outcome. And then he founded his polling service (Gallup Polling – still in use today) and named one of America’s 100 most influential people (Talk about some hard workers!)

After Ola, the house was turned over a few times and fell into disrepair until Clay and his partner stepped up and have spent a year renovating the home. Saving as many historical details – antique light fixtures and saved the original fireplace (decommissioned), pocket doors, floors, and woodwork – and finishing it up in historical paint colors, they kept this home’s unique history alive.

Website: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/52158339?f

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Do you know of an American Foursquare Bed & Breakfast or Vacation Rental not on this list? Let me know!

Want to read about American Foursquare homes? Check out these popular posts. And be sure to connect with me on Instagram for #FoursquareFriday and Pinterest with over 400 photos of Foursquares!

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• 9 Celebrities Who Grew Up in American Foursquare Homes
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