Daily Inspiration: Meet Amy & Dan Smith

Amy & Dan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Stone House has found itself in and out of my life since I was a young girl. I am originally from Dresden, Ohio, another small town upriver from McConnelsville. My earliest memories of the 1835 historic home were when I was just passing by on a school bus while traveling for youth sports. I would make sure that I was sitting on the side of the bus that would allow me the best view of the house when our team traveled there for games.

Then years later, after taking a job in Morgan County, my first office was on the first floor of the Morris House right next door to the Stone House. When the Stone House was first put on the market after the long-time owners passed, Dan and I did a walk-through. We immediately knew  we were not at a place in our newly married life to give the house the attention it needed. So, we passed.

Fast forward six years. The Stone House and the Morris House were purchased along with a portfolio of properties by my son. The two homes housed long-term renters, and as the house became vacant, we knew that something special needed to be done with both homes to preserve and share them with the community.
We recognized the lack of overnight lodging in the area. It was a perfect time to take on the task of converting the homes into a bed and breakfast due to progress and growth in Morgan County.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We opened in the middle of the pandemic, but honestly, we wouldn’t change it. It allowed us to ease into innkeeper life.

When we started this project in the fall of 2019, I had just been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I had two back-to-back surgeries to endure, along with some treatment. The Stone House project gave me something to focus on other than my cancer. It was a blessing.

In March of 2020, I got the all-clear signal then the pandemic happened. My mother had health issues of her own, and hospital stays at the time allowed no visitors. The decision was made to bring her to the Stone House to rehab in what is now our first-floor suite, the Miss Jane Suite. With that, all construction and renovation came to a screeching halt.

It was scary at times, especially in the beginning. Like all business owners, we had our initial two-second pity party but then pulled ourselves up and figured out how to pivot.

And pivot we did. A few months after Mom healed and went back home, we decided to utilize the first-floor room as a guest room instead of its original purpose which was our private living quarters.

The Miss Jane Suite had everything that we needed to work through the pandemic, especially in the beginning when there were so many unknowns. We designed it to have its own private entrance with coded locks and parking in the rear of the house. The room could easily be closed off from the main house with an en-suite bath and easy access to the outdoor patio space. We could easily offer self-check-in if guests required it.

The pandemic made us firm believers in the phrase, “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We are proud serial business owners. Crazy and chaotic, but proud nonetheless. Along with the Inns at 8th and Main, we own and operate three businesses.
After we settled in Morgan County, Dan decided that the area desperately needed a hydraulic repair shop. He has been in the hydraulic business for over 40 years. Living in a rural Appalachian town, farmers would have to travel an hour away for hydraulic repairs to their equipment. So instead of Dan retiring, we opened No Pressure Services in McConnelsville. We serve the area’s hydraulic needs and keep farmers, contractors, and loggers from losing vital downtime with our emergency services and large, in-stock inventory.

I came to Morgan County because of my own small business, AQS Consulting. As a professional bookkeeper, controller, and accounting software expert, I contracted with a local hospitality furniture company that later turned into a career in project management and sales. I think this is where my love of interior and furniture design really came to the forefront. After a few years of hard-core business traveling and many large projects, I decided to join Dan in creating No Pressure Services. There were a lot of job duties that my accounting skills were needed for as we set up Dan’s new business.

Today, I manage the day-to-day accounting operations of 10 different businesses along with running the daily operations at the Inns at 8th and Main.
We both love all aspects of the innkeeper life. We often joke that if we would have been innkeepers first, that’s all we would be doing today. I, however, believe that life puts you through everything that you need to go through to get you to the moment that you are in.

For example, as a young woman in my twenties, I loved entertaining, having parties, and making people feel special by providing hospitality. Now we get to do that every day, and we never tire of it.

Having married later in life, Dan being a few years older than me and knowing that at some point the age difference could catch up to us, it is important for us to spend as much time together as possible. We do this by working together every day. Each day for us starts out working in the kitchen, cooking and serving a hot, homestyle breakfast to our guests.

When we first started renovating the Stone House, we were so caught up in all the design aspects of the house. Through operating the business, we have also discovered that the food we serve and the hospitality and friendship we share with our guests are really what keep them coming back. The time we get to chat with guests after breakfast is served is what we like to call the golden hour.

We have a lot of business travelers, which in the beginning, we just thought innkeeping would be a weekend gig, serving the needs of past locals coming to reconnect with family and friends. Having both traveled in our former careers, we cater to all guests, but the experience travelers hold a special place in our hearts. We love giving them a home away from home while staying with us.

We also love being the unexpected. Guests that walk through our door for the first time are so surprised by its historic beauty combined with today’s modern conveniences. These are the reasons our guests keep coming back. We love welcoming repeat guests.

We love knowing that it is not only the accomodations but the food and the friendship that sets us apart from other overnight accommodations. You can expect your stay to offer the finest amenities in a historic atmosphere. From the Turkish towels and comfy robes to the 1835 sandstone walls, we are a traditional bed and breakfast where history and luxury meet.

The Inns at 8th & Main is:
– Scenically placed in a quaint downtown setting, within walking distance of area sights.
– Housed in a historic home, offering guests a special opportunity to gather together and create a memorable stay.
– Offering a boutique inn experience – which goes above and beyond the typical short-term lodging experiences often received today.
– Centrally located within 45-60 minutes of Athens, Zanesville, Marietta, Lancaster & Cambridge
– Placed directly en route on Ohio’s Windy 9 “Rim of the World” motorcycle tour.

What are your plans for the future?
If we were only 20 years younger – we say that a lot!

We opened the Morris House last fall with the Maria Suite, and the Margaret Suite was in operation at the end of May of this year. These two suites were brought into operation a year earlier than we expected.

As we grow, we know that we don’t want to ever become too large or lose the intimate atmosphere we’ve worked hard to create. We enjoy making connections and friendships with our guests. It is important to us that we maintain that experience.

Currently, the Inns at 8th and Main has three suites in the Stone House and two suites in the next-door Morris House. There are plans to add one more suite to the Stone House by the Fall of 2022.

Of course, we have a few other additions that we are dreaming of. So, stay tuned.