CHESTER, Ark. — The 5NEWS morning crew explored the historic and sometimes scary Beard and Lady Inn on this episode of Around the Corner with a special guest — Morgan Wrigley!
Dating back to 1887, the inn is the oldest building in Chester and the only building to survive two town-wide floods and two town-wide fires. In 2019, Lacey and Lance Hendrix bought the inn and, after an 18-month process, restored it to its former glory.
Lacey grew up not too far away from what was then called The Chester Inn, and she remembers visiting several times with her entire family. After purchasing the building, she found old guest hooks with her name, her mom’s, her grandma’s, and her brother’s names.
In the process of restoration, Lacey and Lance kept several elements of the inn's original charm, including the original stairs, which have seen 137 years of traveling feet. There are also newspaper clippings that Lacey calls the "Tinder of 1905."
Zac read one that said, "Dear girls, Write to me if you wish to marry soon. I'm 5'6", have brown hair, weigh 195, and have $500 cash."
Aside from the history, what makes the renovated hotel so special is its 11 rooms — all with a unique fear associated with each room. These rooms are unique because they don't focus on childish fears like spiders or vampires. They revolve around everyday fears like the fear of missing out, commitment, and aging.
Not only are there ghost stories associated with the inn, but the truly scary part about the Beard and Lady is the rooms that help you overcome those common fears that often go avoided.
In addition to the lodging, the Beard and Lady Inn is attached to an apothecary and mercantile full of curiosities and treasures.
Both Morgan and Zac enjoyed the friendly and welcoming people at the inn. Morgan's favorite part was the aesthetic of the Beard and Lady Inn and the uniqueness of each fear-specific room. Of course, Zac's favorite part was the history and learning about how people picked up a date in the 1900s.
To book a room at the Beard and Lady Inn, visit their website.
Video:
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.