A local husband-and-wife team has finished its renovation of a Gloucester Court House-area home and will open the property as a bed and breakfast. Bill and Michelle Baxter renovated the Belroi Road structure, which was built in 1905, and dubbed it Shephard’s Way.
Their bookings are done through Airbnb, with one-bedroom units going for $100 a night and the two-bedroom upstairs unit priced at $120 a night. In addition to the bedroom(s), each unit features a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and closet space, with furnishings using original wood and new marble.
“It was a total gut job,” said husband and Class A contractor Bill Baxter, who has lived in the county for the last 15 years. Mr. Baxter designed an entirely new floor plan for the house, dividing the space into three units.
The Baxters used local materials whenever possible and furnished the units with pieces from Goodman’s and LOVET Furniture. “Our attitude is I don’t want to build anything I wouldn’t live in myself,” Mr. Baxter stated.
Mrs. Baxter, who is chief financial officer for the business, described growing tourism and the need for affordable accommodations as the couple’s reasons for the project. Similarly, they plan on developing apartments in the future to, as Mrs. Baxter put it, “meet what we see as a growing need.”
The Baxters are going on their eighth year of marriage and believe they each bring something different to their business venture. Mrs. Baxter said she felt their success can be attributed to “his arts side and my analytical side.”
Though not originally from the county, the Baxters said that Gloucester’s combination of quiet living and potential for economic growth drew them to the area. “It’s so quiet here,” Mrs. Baxter stated. “We like that the board is allowing business to grow but it’s not crazy growth.”
The husband-and-wife team work with local businesses and subcontractors whenever possible and added that they are selling their properties on the Southside to focus on their Gloucester projects.
With the units finished, the couple is turning their attention to landscaping the property. In the meantime, the units are still available to rent in daily, weekly or monthly increments. Mrs. Baxter said that she and her husband are planning to hold an open house in the near future.