Our Story: It All Started with a Dream
"I finally found it!"
My daughter’s enthusiastic declaration jolted me from the stillness of an otherwise calm and
predictable morning. With questions colliding in my mind (What had she found? Why the sense
of urgency? Did I forget that she had been looking for something?), I managed to compose a
coherent response.
“That’s wonderful, dear! Tell me all about it,” I replied.
Little did I know that this brief exchange would alter the course of our lives. My daughter,
Whitney, had located a beautiful rural property for sale in Carroll County, Maryland. With 33
picturesque acres, a large manor home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a
small cottage in need of some love, this hidden treasure built in 1861 would soon become home
to some of us and the focus of a new family business venture for all of us.
The catch was that the property was only available to tour for one week and offers were due by
Friday evening. All of us had full lives, including careers and children, so finding a convenient
time for a group visit was challenging. But once we viewed the details of the property online, we
were united in our determination to carve out the time to head up to Westminster.
So it was that one morning in April of 2021, my daughters Ashleigh and Whitney, my son Caleb,
my son-in-law Luke, and my daughter-in-law Rachel arrived at the entrance to the property (or
The Farm, as we like to call it) for an open house. Although we were in separate vehicles, our
thoughts were remarkably alike.
We will never forget the scene before us as we slowly rounded the corner by the large bank barn.
The natural beauty of the land took our breath away. Untamed forests, open meadows, pastures,
and enchanting gardens were all visible to us as we emerged from our vehicles. Situated in a dell
and shaded by stately maple trees, the manor home was majestic, even though her shutters and
front porch were missing.
As we made our way inside, we were warmly greeted by local real estate agent, Paul Kotsher. He
gave us a brief history of the property and invited us to tour the home. As we walked through the
empty rooms, we were keenly aware that this home was the object of careful and loving
preservation. The plaster walls were crisp and smooth, the wood floors were clean and in
good repair, and most of the windowpanes were original.
With every step around the house, outbuildings, and grounds, we were increasingly convinced
that we wanted to become the next caretakers of this exquisite slice of Maryland history. But
with so many others interested in it too, and with one of the hottest real estate markets in recent history, could we even dare to hope that it might become ours? And if we were to become the
next owners, how could we share such a rare gem with others in the community and beyond?
Standing under the shade of an old cherry tree (yes, real cherries!), the answer to our second
question hit us: this estate would be the perfect wedding and event venue.
During a quick post-tour lunch, the long-cherished dream of starting another family business began to take shape.
With deep previous experience in a service industry and a proven track record of effectively
working together, we completed the details of an offer and began crafting our business plan.
Our offer was submitted on Friday as required, and we were informed on Sunday that the
property would be ours. Amid selling homes, packing, moving, and maintaining our busy
careers, the 80+ page business plan was completed. Only one thing remained – our name. We
wanted a name that would reflect the prominence of the manor home. And we also wanted to
acknowledge the life and legacy of my late husband, Scott. It didn’t take long for our name to
materialize after we identified our objectives. And so, The Manor at River Run was born.
For the past year and a half, we have worked tirelessly on renovating the Manor and grounds of
this beautiful property. We hope you will meet us here in this blog each month, where you can
follow our progress and learn interesting details about this place and our journey. You can also
follow our progress on Instagram and Facebook.
In addition to renovations, we’ve been working enthusiastically on our business, refining our
vision, making connections, and plotting a course to become Westminster’s premier wedding and
event venue.
We invite you to experience the unique grace and charm of The Manor at River
Run by hosting your unique celebration here with us.
We would love to be part of your journey, too!
