The Heart of the Hills at The Mountain View

Step back in time and step out on the town from this beautiful apartment in the Historic Mountain View BnB. This is on the ground floor of a folk Victorian hotel built in 1903. Easy walk to downtown food and entertainment, public gym is a 10-minute jog away. Memory foam mattress, 4K Roku TV, Wifi, desk and chair. In this BnB, you're in the heart of Whitesburg's Downtown Historic District and in The Heart of the Hills! The Heart of the Hills is a ground-floor, one-bedroom Air BnB with an eclectic feel. Century-old hardwood floors combine with vintage and new furniture and fixtures to create a cozy atmosphere, accented with up-cycled art pieces such as antique door headboard and a floor lamp/end table made from a fire engine red kerosene heater. From the Victorian couch and chairs to the memory foam bed, this BnB is built for comfort. You can fix your own meals in the upscale kitchen, and relax over dinner in the Arts and Crafts style dining room. This hotel and residence was built in 1903 by B.M. Webb, the only saloon keeper and distiller in Whitesburg. Webb was a colorful local political boss who had lost a hand in a cider press at his distillery, and once engaged in a knife fight with the county clerk on Main Street. Several prominent political figures, doctors and lawyers in the county have called The Mountain View home. Mentioned in an article by America's first million-selling author, John Fox Jr., after a stay here in 1909, the building was in continuous use as a hotel, a residence, and an apartment building until 2018. The current owners are returning it to its original purpose. Guests have the entire suite to themselves, including living room, bedroom private bath, dining room and kitchen. The remainder of the building is still being renovated and is open to employees only. Guests are free to use the back yard and front porch. While there are no other guest rooms at this time, those outdoor spaces will be shared when the other BnB suites in the building open. Letcher County is pretty small - about 21,000 people. If someone doesn't know a person, they know someone who does. Friendships start before school and last a lifetime. Whitesburg is the seat of government, so everyone has to come here at some point, whether it's to eat out, pay taxes, or go to school. Whitesburg has had a reputation as an easygoing town for decades, welcoming to everyone. Church Street is just two blocks off Main, but it's away from the traffic and the bustle even on a busy weekday. It's quiet and picturesque with every home in the neighborhood being 70 to 125 years old. The neighborhood is even older. It was laid out when the city was founded in 1842. It's serene and safe. Crime is virtually non-existent, and with the exception of an occasional black bear rummaging through the trash, there's little excitement on the street. If you crave excitement - nightlife, good food, music, festivals - they're all within a five minute walk. If outdoor activities are your thing, The Pine Mountain Trail, part of the nearly 2,000-mile Great Eastern Trail, meanders along the mountain's crest, just outside town. Bad Branch Falls, about 10 miles away, is a state nature preserve that has one of the highest concentrations of rare and endangered species in the state. Fishpond Lake, a county park and manmade lake, is about the same distance in the opposite direction. If you're more interested in the Arts, Appalshop, known worldwide for its films and other artistic endeavors, is a 10-minute walk from the front door of the BnB. Come and discover what you like about Letcher County.