The Tides Inn is a waterfront resort just off the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

Irvington, Virginia Irvington is a town on the Rappahannock River in Lancaster County, Virginia, United States. The population was 432 at the 2010 census. Located on a peninsula known as the Northern Neck, it has been designated a historic district. History From 1 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, and located within the Irvington National Register District. Opened in 1947 by entrepreneur E.A. Stephens, it is now owned and operated by Enchantment Group. The East Coast resort on Virginia's

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The P ...

, was known for its regional cooking and amenities such as golf and boating; the Tides Inn slogan "Quiet Quality" appeared in advertisements in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''.

History

E.A Stephens and his wife would purchase a 25-acre farm in 1945 for $5,000. The high land, water views, and clearing of the fields near the farm would influence their idea of opening up a hotel in the area. In the fall of 1946, the two decided to create and eventually open an Inn, stating that it would be "the finest thing that could be developed and still keep the rural atmosphere.” The inn would open on July 15, 1947. In 1956, Stephens purchased and restored the decommissioned to be the star attraction at the resort, renaming it ''Miss Ann'' after his wife. Andrew Hepburn, in his 1965 book ''Great Resorts of North America'', says that the resort was built on a site called the old Ashburn Farm. Stephens used local timber, including

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

paneling from trees on the farm and cypress paneling from a nearby swamp, hauled to Irvington by oxcart. In the beginning, there were only 47 rooms. From the start, Stephens sought the best antiques for furnishing. Hepburn writes that one of the best early recipes at the resort was the breakfast dish Hangtown fry, made of local oysters and scrambled eggs. The resort had a number of yearly traditions including a Frostbite Regatta and

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

fireworks. The poolside restaurant was known as the Bubble Club. The resort had an eagle theme; not only was an eagle on the Tides Inn logo but the hotel's 1976

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

, designed by George Cobb and John LaFoy, was named the ''Golden Eagle''. The golf course is surrounded by a 50 acre lake and is considered the only operational golf course in Lancaster County. In the early days, due to local liquor laws the restaurant and hotel were not able to sell alcohol to guests. However, because private clubs were not bound by the same constraints Stephens formed the Chesapeake Club, a name still used by the hotel. Yachtsmen and local patrons were invited to join and paid a nominal yearly due. Transient guests could join during their stay for $1 extra per day. After acquisition by Enchantment Group in 2001, the property underwent an $18 million renovation, reopening in 2002. In 2008, ''Miss Ann'' was sold. The resort has a total of 70 guest rooms (including suites), a full-service spa, along with a 60-slip marina and a par-72 championship golf course, the Golden Eagle.

References

External links

Tides Inn Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tides Inn Hotels in Virginia Resorts in Virginia Northern Neck Buildings and structures in Lancaster County, Virginia Hotels established in 1947 Tourist attractions in Lancaster County, Virginia 1947 establishments in Virginia