Images courtesy of Truitt House
Legend has it violet-eyed film icon Elizabeth Taylor once graced the grand foyer of the Truitt House, built in 1909 by lumber tycoon George W. Truitt in downtown Suffolk. Luckily, these days you needn’t be Hollywood royalty nor wealthy magnate to enjoy its grandeur, recently transformed into a one-of-a-kind bed-and-breakfast by its proprietor, patron saint and in-house French-trained chef Ruth Baker.
With distinctive echoes of Jefferson’s Monticello, this neoclassical beauty offers accommodations for a maximum of 10 overnight guests in four bedrooms—complete with stunningly renovated private bathrooms bedecked in Italian marble—separated by a large landing on the second floor, where you are welcome to luxuriate in socially distanced comfort to your heart’s content.
Rooms prices range from $140 to $250 per night for the king suite with adjoining sitting room. The overnight guest price includes a cooked-to-order breakfast from the chef herself—whether you prefer yogurt parfait with house-made granola for a lighter start or a traditionally prepared Eggs Benedict with sinfully silky Hollandaise drizzled over expertly poached eggs, bacon and English muffins served with creamy parmesan polenta.
While you’re there, you’ll want to drink in all of the home’s delightful design details. Catch up on your reading in the sunlit octagonal study with rare curly pine trim, rich emerald green walls and Art Nouveau light fixture. Descend the elegant floating staircase into the huge formal dining and living rooms, where 14-foot ceilings and Palladian windows are large enough to walk through—or dance a conga line through as Baker recalls happened at a certain New Year’s Eve party. Sip your Nespresso in the butler’s pantry fit for a king and be sure to get a look at the home’s original carriage house, not yet renovated but the perfect spot for a future restaurant, Baker hopes.
There’s plenty to explore within walking distance of the Truitt House’s location caddy-corner to the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society. Don’t miss The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, The Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, The Riddick’s Folly House Museum and historic Cedar Hill Cemetery. If outdoor adventures are your thing, plan a kayak route or hike through nearby Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge.
While there are plenty of great dining options also nearby, Baker’s talents in the kitchen are available upon request and priced accordingly. Have her treat you to a four-course feast that might begin with an amuse-bouche of tomato and nectarine with goat cheese and balsamic reduction, continue with a classic Caesar salad with anchovies, and star a mouth-watering main event—a fish dish called Filet de Truitte à La Grenobloise or Sautéed Trout, Grenoble Style, perfectly crisped in brown butter and singing a diva-worthy citrus high note of lemon and capers. Top it off with a Vanilla-Brandied Cherry Ice Cream Bomb with a crust made from cocoa, ground pistachios and graham crackers. The bomb indeed.
Book a stay, request a gourmet meal or plan a special event by visiting TheTruittHouse.com.
Author: Leona Baker
