The Montesano Inn, a bed and breakfast in the historic Hubble House in Montesano, hosted dozens of people at its official ribbon cutting and offered tours of the rooms and grounds on June 20.
“The house brought us up here,” said John Lansing, who owns and operates the inn with his wife, Pam. “The people keep us here.”
Numerous city officials were present at the home on the corner of South Main Street and East Spruce Avenue, including mayor Vini Samuel, most of the members of the Chamber of Commerce — including chamber president Corey Rux, who is also the town fire chief — and area business owners. Mixed in were many lifelong citizens curious to get a peek inside the home.
The house, built in 1903 for local businessman George Hubble and his family, drew the Lansings from their home in San Bernardino, Calif., east of Los Angeles. They arrived in mid-December 2017, around Christmas time. One of their first encounters with the locals came as they were in the process of moving into the home. John said a local woman saw the moving truck and inquired about what was going on. He invited her to come at another time for a tour. The following morning, there she was, with two friends, at 9 a.m.; all three decked out in Christmas attire. The house was still cluttered from moving and the Lansings were still in their pajamas, but invited them in and gave them the full tour.
Hubble ran the Chehalis County log boom, had a sawmill and owned a local skating rink and dance hall. Many locals still refer to the house as the Cooney House after a subsequent owner, Dr. James Cooney, a local dentist and mayor of Montesano. The inside decor is heavily influenced by the Bavarian culture and features hand-painted Bavarian murals in three rooms and Bavarian chandeliers.
Rux mentioned that John had been a firefighter in San Bernardino and quickly became a volunteer with the Montesano department.
The home contains three bedrooms, a modern kitchen and bathrooms, and large living and dining areas. The house is also available for weddings and meetings. For more information on the bed and breakfast, check out the Montesano Inn Facebook page or call the Lansings at (360) 888-3733.