'Enter as Strangers, Leave as Friends' at Fenton Bed & Breakfast

Sean and Elaine Rosekrans, of Fenton, open their historic bed and breakfast to the public all week long and holidays, whether it’s for ladies savoring a Victorian Tea Party, couples celebrating a special occasion with a stay in The Honeymoon Suite or travelers from out of town seeking rest and relaxation.

Visitors’ testimonials on The Wolcott House Bed & Breakfast website say guests find the stately 19th Century surroundings comforting and peaceful. Behind the scenes, the Rosekranses put in a lot of work to maintain the unique, soothing surroundings — where they make their home in their own private quarters at the back of the house. Elaine Rosekrans’ mother, who will turn 91 this month and whom Rosekrans cares for, also lives on the property.

Good morning

As guests arrive, the Rosekranses greet them at the door, show them around and take them up to their room, Elaine Rosekrans said. Visitors stay in The Honeymoon Suite (the most popular room), The Garden Room or The Presidents Room. Guests can relax downstairs in the parlor if they like, and they have the evening for their own dinner and activities.

“I see them in the morning,” Rosekrans said.

Many come to Fenton for weddings, class reunions and visiting family and friends, or the Renaissance Festival. People from all over have stayed at The Wolcott House, she said. Guests have included visitors from Germany and Denmark.

A “regular” is a young gentleman from out of town, who stays one day every week when he teaches a class at the University of Michigan-Flint, Rosekrans said. “He’s become another son to me.”

Like the sign above The Wolcott House’s front door says, the Rosekranses hope that, although guests may “enter as strangers,” they “leave as friends.”

The bed and breakfast experience is quieter and more personal than staying in a large hotel or motel, Elaine Rosekrans said. Guests are usually all adults, and many are repeat visitors. A few months ago, she ran into a couple at . The husband and wife held their wedding at Wolcott House, which is an option for smaller gatherings of 60 or fewer. Rosekrans was able to meet the newest member of their family — their new baby.

When The Wolcott House has guests, she is up by 6 a.m., preparing the hot, three-course breakfast that will be served at 8:30 a.m., she said. “I’m the cook. We do everything fresh.”

She makes her own baked goods, which are served with an entrée at breakfast. Rosekrans created most of the recipes herself. “I like to dabble in the kitchen. I like to cook,” she said.

Specialties include baked eggs, which are wrapped in bacon. Rosekrans bakes the bread as well and serves it with homemade jam. Variations on waffles and bread puddings are other breakfast dishes she prepares.

For the Victorian Tea, ladies can select from old-fashioned hats as they walk in. The four-course tea includes Rosekrans’ savories, or tea sandwiches. They include a hot savory with sausage and puff pastry, she said. Of course, the meal features a wide variety of loose teas to choose from, and homemade desserts such as scones.

A little TLC

When the Rosekranses bought The Wolcott House in 1989, they agreed Sean Rosekrans would take care of the outside and Elaine Rosekrans would handle the inside, she said. It has evolved into each helping the other.

In addition to the house, there are gardens surrounding it. Sean Rosekrans has a miniature train display he has just taken inside for the winter. In the spring, taking it back outside is the first thing he does, his wife said. A train enthusiast, Sean Rosekrans also works at the Huckleberry Railroad in Flint.

The Rosekranses bought the house in October 1989 and spent 15 months renovating it. They handled all of the work themselves, except for laying the patio pavers and doing the plumbing, Elaine Rosekrans said.

Sean Rosekrans does most of the online portion of the business. They receive a lot of reservations through bedandbreakfast.com, and The Wolcott House has its own website, thewolcotthouse.com. But the best form of advertising for the business has been word of mouth, she said. The Wolcott House has specials, which include a dinner package for two dinners at with sparkling wine or champagne when the guests return to the bed and breakfast. In addition, Valentine’s Day packages and special offers for senior citizens are available.

The Rosekranses have operated The Wolcott House for 10 years. They decided to move and open a bed and breakfast after years of living in a subdivision, with “one house on top of another” and working as pharmaceutical representatives, Elaine Rosekrans said. She also had worked as a waitress and bartender, and for catering companies and doctors’ offices.

“When I decided to do this, I felt that I finally found my calling,” she said, of The Wolcott House. “It’s wonderful to be your own boss — a lot less stressful.”

Decor

The large house takes a lot of cleaning and dusting to keep it in sparkling condition for guests. Rosekrans said she usually starts at one end and ends at the other. The Wolcott House holds many unique items she’s found at estate and rummage sales, including antiques.  There is an old viewfinder in the parlor, and a spinning wheel.

The Rosekranses examined historic paint colors before decorating their bed and breakfast to resemble a home from the early 1900s. The carpeting in the guests’ rooms is the same pattern, but different colors, she said. In addition, a wall along the stairway is dedicated to the Wolcott family, for whom the bed and breakfast is named.

Elaine Rosekrans’ giraffe collection also inhabits the bed and breakfast. At first, she thought the figurines might have too much of a jungle look. But the 350-plus figurines blend into the décor, and one has to look closely to see them.

“Most people don’t notice them at first,” she said.

Regular rates begin at $95 per night. For more information, see thewolcotthouse.com or call (810) 714-4317.