By Rebecca Troyer
Published in the Herald-Times Newspaper
June 16, 2011
The Grant Street Inn, a historic bed and breakfast owned by CFC Properties, is celebrating its 20th anniversary Friday with an old-fashioned street fair between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tours of the inn and refreshments will be available, and music will be provided by a brass quintet from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.
The inn was originally a house built in the 1890s by William P. Rogers as a gift for his bride, Belle, at the corner of Seventh and Lincoln streets. Rogers was a prominent Bloomington attorney who later became dean of the IU and Cincinnati University law schools. Subsequent owners included William Graham, who built the Graham Hotel, and William N. Showers, owner of Showers Brothers Furniture Factory.
The house was moved to its current site at 310 N. Grant St. and restored by Bill and Gayle Cook, founders of the Cook Group companies.
CFC Properties, Cook’s real estate and restoration company, had acquired it from the First Presbyterian Church when the church sought to expand on the original site at Seventh and Lincoln.
“We are excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Grant Street Inn; I can remember the day we moved the Ziegler house to its current location,” said Jim Murphy, president of CFC Properties. “This has had a positive impact on this neighborhood and the downtown businesses, as well.”
The inn, which opened in June 1991, has 24 guest rooms decorated in a variety of styles.
“Over the years, we have been blessed with having wonderful guests ranging from the leisure traveler to professionals in a variety of disciplines, and of course we house various IU-related guests, as well,” Murphy said.
