Family-owned historic Harrisonburg inn gets a revamp

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Along Garbers Church Road sits By the Side of the Road Getaway Lodging, an inn that was originally built in 1790, now owned by husband and wife Jesse and Anna Bergey.

Anna’s parents opened By the Side of the Road in 1999, and created a staple bed and breakfast for visitors to the Friendly City. Anna and Jesse purchased the inn from her parents in June 2022 and began renovations on the main house in early 2023.

“All of the renovations we did were purely cosmetic things like new paint, new carpet, nice new bathrooms,” Jesse Bergey said.

The Bergey’s knew along with the changes, they also wanted to maintain the historical integrity of the home, which served as a makeshift hospital during the Civil War, and a meeting place for early Mennonite church leaders.

Anna says she also wanted to keep little touches left behind by her parents while adding their own flair.

“They built a really solid business for us to take over but it’s important for us to put our own spin on it and be able to make it ‘Jesse and Anna’s’,” Anna said.

Given Jesse’s landscaping business background, the Bergey’s named and themed each of the four suites in the main house after native plants in the area.

The couple worked with Sustainable Solutions on the renovations, and say after some late nights and long hours, they completed the work May 17. The Bergey’s gave themselves that specific deadline to line up with James Madison University’s graduation, one of many events that draws visitors to the Shenandoah Valley.

“Being able to update the space and create a nice place for visitors to Harrisonburg to stay was just a lot of fun,” Jesse Bergey said.

For more information about By the Side of the Road, visit their website here.

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