Wellington Country Inn invites you to step back in time to relax and rejuvenate.

Wellington Village is famous for many things, but perhaps nothing is more visually striking and beautiful than the collection of brick Victorian houses that imbue the village with charm and architectural grandeur.

And one of these houses now welcomes visitors to the village and gives them a glimpse into life in the 1880s.

Wellington Country Inn218 E. Herrick St., was completed in 1884 at a cost of $420, which was quite a large sum in those days.

The bed and breakfast is the pride and joy of owners Eugene and Evelyn Hopkins.

The couple purchased the house in 2009.

The former Truman Funeral Home became their dream home and retirement home.

Evelyn Hopkins often said that she passed by the house on her way to the Lorain County Fair as she walked from her then home in LaGrange and thought to herself what a wonderful way to spend her retirement.

“The house came up for sale and I told myself it was the perfect place to open a bed and breakfast,” she said. “It was something I always wanted to do and said I would do after I retired.

“But it was put up for sale before I retired, but we bought it anyway. “I’m a reader, so I read different books about bed and breakfasts and really thought we could do this.

“I’ll still be able to see people and not have to leave the house to go out in the snow or bad weather.”

Hopkins worked as a technical secretary while her husband worked for the Ohio Department of Transportation before retiring.

Both professions came in handy in running a popular bed and breakfast and managing the upkeep, maintenance, reservations, books, and the occasional eccentric guest.

“We can always tell when someone was expecting a hotel rather than a bed and breakfast,” Hopkins said. “After many years of work, we began to understand when a guest comes to the door.

“You can tell almost immediately by their behavior that they would probably prefer it to be a hotel.”

Hopkins said she’s even had guests stay with her and even fixed a few things at the 140-year-old Victorian mansion, including updating the Wi-Fi, fixing a squeak or even, in one case, remodeling the bed.

“They got a little irritable,” she said.

The Hopkins live in the house.

Additionally, guests can choose from four rooms with attached baths, quite a feat for an 1880s home that originally had no indoor plumbing.

Hopkins explained that when the couple bought the house, it took about six months of intensive renovation and updating to create the look it has today, with all the modern conveniences but without losing the Victorian charm.

Presidential numbers

The Washington Room is named after George Washington and features a copper queen-size bed.

This room features a table and comfortable chairs by the bay window so guests can enjoy the morning sun in privacy.

The private bathroom has a shower.

The Lincoln Room, named after Abraham Lincoln, is paneled and features an oak queen-size bed.

There is a table and chairs to enjoy the evening sun.

The private bathroom has a large shower.

“There was one time where a guest called from Canada and needed a room for the night because he was coming into town,” Hopkins said. “I asked him what his name was and it was John Booth.

“I asked if his middle name was Wilkes, but he said no. Well, I told him he could have any room except Lincoln’s room. I wasn’t going to take any risks.”

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Room has a queen-size bed.

It is located downstairs for those who don’t want to climb the stairs.

The room also includes a private bathroom with an Americans with Disabilities Act shower, as a tribute to Roosevelt.

The Truman Suite is named after Harry Truman and features a cherry queen bed in the master bedroom.

It has an attached living room with a daybed with a pull-out bed so it can comfortably sleep two more people.

This room has a private bathroom with a bath and shower.

Room rates range from $125 to $160 per night.

A crib can be added to any room for an additional cost of $10.

According to Hopkins, each room is uniquely decorated with antique furniture and equipped with the finest linens, blankets and comfortable robes.

Guests are provided with free wireless internet access. All guests receive a daily homemade breakfast from Hopkins.

She said breakfast depends on her mood, but guests rave about her cinnamon rolls and breakfast casseroles.

“Most of the comments we see are that people enjoy the hospitality, and many say they really enjoy the food,” Hopkins said. “There are a lot of people who we find very nice and comfortable being close to their family who don’t have a place to stay.”

And although the Victorian beauty is more than 140 years old and worked for a time in a funeral home, the couple said they had never seen a ghost, although such stories exist about the city.

Hopkins said her business is successful and she enjoys hosting guests in Wellington and at home.