Mother’s Day At The Morehead Inn & The VanLandingham Estate

THE MOREHEAD INN & THE VANLANDINGHAM ESTATE
HOST 16th ANNUAL MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH EXTRAVAGANZA

Sunday, May 8, 2011 – Join us for Charlotte’s Finest Southern Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet! The Morehead Inn and the VanLandingham Estate open their doors again this year to host the 16th Annual Mother’s Day Brunch.

The delicious Mother’s Day Menu at each Inn will feature a plentiful array of Southern gourmet specialties.

Menu Showcase:
A variety of freshly-made breakfast breads, rolls and pastries
Made-to-order Omelets
Carving Station, featuring
Tender Pork Loin stuffed with Arugala, Roasted Red Peppers, Gouda Cheese and Pancetta
then drizzled with a sweet Tangerine and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.
Eye Round of Beef accompanied by Horseradish Sauce, Mustards, Mayonnaise, and a Port Wine Beef Glace
Chilled Shrimp Cocktail
Garden fresh Salads, featuring
Egg Salad
Loaded Potato Salad
Estate Salad
Wild Rice Spring Salad
Marinated Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad
Fresh Fruit Salad
Rice Pilaf
Roasted Spring Vegetables
Chicken Pot Pie
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Egg Fritatta
Apple Wood Smoked Bacon and Sausage Links
Homemade Biscuits and Gravy
Grits and Home Fries
Mouth-watering Desserts featuring:
Strawberry Shortcake Mini’s
Chocolate Mousse Tarts
Apple Pie
Fresh Baked Cookies
Lemon Pie
Southern Banana Pudding
Chocolate Brownies

Prices:
$28.95 for adults,
$24.95 for seniors,
$15.95 for children 4 to 12 years old
Children 3 and under eat free.
Prices are exclusive of tax and gratuity.

Seatings:
Four reserved seatings now available at each location.
Times are as follows:
Morning - 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Afternoon - 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Enjoy the elegance, and ambiance of two of Charlotte’s historic treasures! Reservations are required and seating is limited. Weather permitting, outside seating will also be available. Complimentary parking is available at both Inns. Hurry! Reservations fill quickly!

The Morehead Inn – A Georgian Revival-style Inn, well-known for corporate meetings, elegant weddings and unique social events. Listed on the Mecklenburg County Historic Register, the Morehead Inn features personalized service, exceptional cuisine, private suites and ample meeting space in exclusive surroundings. This gracious estate is centrally located: 1122 East Morehead Street. Please call for reservations and further information: (704) 376-3357. www.moreheadinn.com

The VanLandingham Estate Inn & Conference Center – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this extraordinary five acre estate features historic gardens, timeless architecture and lush surroundings. Home to five treasure trees, the gardens will be in full bloom and guests are welcome to stroll the grounds before or after their meal. The perfect setting for any occasion, all situated just a few miles from uptown! The VanLandingham Estate at located at 2010 The Plaza. Please call for reservations and further information: (704) 334-8909. www.vanlandinghamestate.com

A Special Visit From Peter Cottontail…

A fabulous time was had at the VanLandingham Estate Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday!  With over 3000 eggs hidden all over the lush grounds, children

young and old scampered about – in search for the little candy filled treasures and the special Grand Prizes – The Golden Eggs!  

Peter Cottontail made a special appearance – and was able to take photos and greet all the kids!  

A good time was had by all!  We look forward to next year when Peter Cottontail returns!!!   

Happy Easter!!! 

 

Another beautiful Spring day in Charlotte, NC

Another beautiful Spring day in Charlotte, NC!

Thank you to everyone that came out for Thirsty Thursday – Afterhours In Midwood, yesterday evening.
Okay, we are partial….  Evenings throughout the Spring and well into late Autumn are a perfect time to be
at the VanLandingham Estate…

A stately home, lights that twinkle, a romantic lily pond … an ideal atmosphere for any occasion.

Sit back and relax on the front porch rocking chairs  and enjoy the lush landscaped grounds.
or for a more casual setting, set up a picnic blanket on the lawn and enjoy a glass of wine with a few friends.
We had a few neighborhood pups join in on the fun yesterday evening!!

The next Thirsty Thursday is CINCO DE MAYO!    …hope to have you join along for the fun.

A few images from our exclusive photographers… Tommy McCart, Honour heirs, Indigo

Thirsty Thursday – April 14, 2011

Greetings!  We hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Spring Weather!  What a beautiful day.   Once a month we open our doors to the community for a Monthly Social / Happy Hour…better known as Thirsty Thursday – Afterhours In Midwood.

It is a perfect opportunity to enjoy all the estate has to offer…with lush landscape and grounds, views of the lily pond, rocking chairs on the front porch …all amist a canopy of trees.

Come join us for a cocktail on the back patio!  Our special for the evening:  Bloody Mary’s!  And our Executive Chef always creates something seasonal, fresh and simply delicious to sample.

Don’t leave FIDO at home…dogs are welcome!!   So, be sure to pack a frisbee too.

April 14, 2011
7:00-9:00 p.m.

We hope to have you as our guest!

In Memoriam ~ Ms. Linda Kiss 1947-2011

A note shared by our owner Billy Maddalon ( Sunday morning – 4/10/2011) after the  loss of a co-worker.  |
I found these words very comforting and wanted to share…

THANK YOU LINDA

Linda Kiss passed away this morning, shortly before 6:45 am.  She graciously did not suffer and was surrounded by family and loved ones.  She most certainly was not alone.   I would like to personally thank Linda for all of her 13 years of dedication and hard work.  She was frequently called the “bulldog” and she earned it, because she never let anything rest.  She did just about every job in our small company, except cook, which she insisted was only because she did not do it well.  She looked after Unique Southern Estates like it was her own and I could have never asked for one thing more than she gave.

Work is what most of us do most of the time in life, so much of our existence is defined by how well we do our jobs and how we treat those we work for and with.  In that case, Linda’s legacy is secure.  She was a dedicated friend, coworker and employee and was terribly missed from the first day, just a week ago, that she was not able to come back to the office.  There is and will be a void in our little company for a long time to come.  We wish her nephew strength and consolation, along with the remainder of her family.  I know each of you will keep each of them in your prayers.    - Billy Maddalon

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent,
nay, more present than the living man.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

We Will Miss You Linda!!

 

Morehead Inn History…once known as the Old Coddington House

Morehead Inn History

C.C. Coddington’s business prospered, paralleling the growth of the city itself.  Ironically, it was the streetcar, not the automobile, that first made it possible for society’s well-to-do to move to new communities known as suburbs.  In 1917, Coddington hired London-born architect William Peeps to design his home to be located on an ample corner lot at East Morehead Street and Berkeley Avenue in the heart of the suburb known as Dilworth.  Peeps’ commission was to design a residence patterned after Mrs. Coddington’s family home in Pennsylvania and to that end he fashioned the gracious and stately clapboard mansion and grounds that stand today.

Built in 1917, the story of the Inn actually begins in the year 1907 when a Northerner, Charles Campbell Coddington, was granted exclusive rights to distribute Buick automobiles in the Carolinas.  As the story goes, Coddington was driving from New Jersey to Charlotte in the first Buick south of the Mason-Dixon Line, when he happened to stop at a local drug store in Greensboro, North Carolina.  There he laid eyes on the eighteen-year-old Marjorie Lyon, herself a native of western Pennsylvania.  It is said that Coddington was so taken with the young beauty that he put his business on hold until he could meet her.  Their courtship blossomed and Marjorie and Charles were married the next year.  After their marriage, the Coddingtons moved to Charlotte in 1908.

Tragically however, our romantic story ends far too soon, as Mrs. Coddington died in 1925 of a heart attack, during her eleventh pregnancy, leaving three young sons.  Shortly thereafter, Mr. Coddington sold the Morehead Street house and purchased the Duke Mansion in Myers Park.  Coddington’s own life was cut short when he too died tragically aboard a yacht in the Pamlico Sound in 1928.

Remarkably, the residence that became known as the “Old Coddington House”, managed to survive.  While other similar properties on Morehead Street eventually gave way to the needs of commerce, the Coddington house remained a private residence until 1980.  Opened to the public as the Morehead Inn in 1984, the house once again began to experience the acclaim and appreciation of its many visitors.  Subsequently the property’s significance was recognized by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission, and the entire Dilworth community, Charlotte’s first street car suburb, has been designated a National Trust Historic District.

 

Rainy days…a perfect time to plan an intimate picnic for two or a garden party picnic!

A perfect picnic at the estate....

Picnic Season is upon us…

All picnics are served either at a private table or on a large themed blanket in the area of your choice, on the Estate’s five – acre garden and grounds.

Picnic baskets and wine are completely ready and waiting upon your arrival!*

See our special GARDEN PICNICS VIDEO on Charlotte Today.

Our Picnic Menus Change Seasonally…

Simply Proper Picnic
Assorted Tea Sandwiches
Hearts of Palm with Tomatoes and Currants
Asparagus with Parmesan Butter
Fresh Croissant with Honey Butter
Coffee & Tea or
Your Selection of Bottle of House Red or House White Wine
Chocolate-Toffee Truffles
$35.00/guest

The Mediterranean Picnic
Ham, Brie and Pepperoncini Panini
Prosciutto with Melon
Bruchetta with White Beans, Olives & Tomatoes
Crusty Baguette with Grapes and Cheese
Your Selection of Bottle of House Red or House White Wine
Tiramisu
$40.00/guest

Splendor in the Grass Picnic
Orange-Scented Crab Cakes with Fresh Tomato Relish or
Roasted Oysters on the Half Shell
Lilliputian Lamb Chops
Sautéed Baby Pattypan Squash
Goat Cheese and Fontina Risotto
Your Selection of Bottle of House Red or House White Wine
Chocolate Croissant Bread Puddings
$50.00/guest

*Picnics:  Please call for availability (704) 334-8909.  ) 

*Our Picnic Cancellation Policy:  48 hours prior to arrival.

*Various interior options available during inclimate weather.

Susie Harwood’s Journal Entry from 1894

Susie Harwood Journal Entry – December 12, 1894

“I have certainly had a (unidentifiable word) career and a rather painful one. Last night, to horrified amazement – Mr. McClusky asked me to postpone the wedding until Spring.  I asked and begged him to give me a reason but he never did.  However I am convinced that it is because I have lost some of my money and the realization is anything but gratifying.  So I have decided to postpone it indefinitely and shall take the necessary steps at once. The dishonorable rascal will certainly be punished.  How I loathe him. If I were only a man now, for a little while.”

Susie Harwood VanLandingham, born in the late 1860′s in St. Paul, Minnesota, was an outstanding human being. In 1881, she moved with her family to Volusia County, Florida, where her father, Norman B. Harwood, became a high official with the Florida East Coast Railroad then being developed by Henry Morrison Flagler. After her father’s death in 1885, she moved with her mother, Susan Drury Deane Harwood, to Atlanta, Ga. It was here that she would meet Ralph VanLandingham and would become his wife on September 17, 1901. In the intervening years, however, Susie demonstrated that she had acquired considerable executive ability. She was one of the founders of the Atlanta Art Association. She was an officer of the Atlanta Y.M.C.A. Even more significantly, she headed the company which built the first fire-proof hotel in the State of Georgia.

Mrs. VanLandingham continued to be active in civic affairs in the years following her arrival in North Carolina. The Charlotte News characterized her as “a woman of rare gifts and a person of unmistakable quality.” Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of Mrs. Ralph VanLandingham the newspaper asserted, “was the range and depth of her interests.” She served as regent of the Halifax Convention Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. She was Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Approved Schools. She was president of the Board of St. Peter’s Hospital, where she financed the building of the emergency waiting room in honor of her mother. Probably her most notable contribution, for which she received a personal commendation from President Woodrow Wilson, was her supervision of the Red Cross Canteen at Camp Greene during World War I. Finally, Mrs. VanLandingham provided generous support to the Crossnore Industrial School for Mountain Children near Linville, N.C. She died at St. Peter’s Hospital on September 26, 1937.

A Brief Excerpt…The VanLandingham Estate History

A Formal Dinner - In The Dining Room Of Harwood Home

Good morning!

I thought to share a brief history of  The Vanlandingham Estate.   We hope you enjoy!

Ralph and Susie Harwood-VanLandingham built the VanLandingham Estate in 1913. Ralph moved his wife and twin son and daughter to Charlotte from Georgia. His decision evolved when his father invited him to join his cotton brokerage firm in Charlotte. Though already quite wealthy, the move occurred at the time of the big textile boom, making the cotton brokerage industry and the VanLandinghams even more prosperous. It was actually Susie that helped draw the plans for the house, that was designed for entertaining.  They acquired the house and the five acres for $6000.

This area, now Plaza-Midwood was originally called Chatham Estates, an exclusive community of 5-acre lots. The median of what is now “The Plaza” was the old trolley line.  When the depression hit, most landowners divided and sold their land, but The VanLandingham Estate remained intact. The house is a California bungalow, a new style during the 1900′s, complete with sleeping porches. Some of the original furnishings still remain including the hall mirror, the couch in the living room, the couch and matching chair in the upstairs foyer, as well as the dining room table, chairs, and built-in china cabinets. Most of these furnishings were brought from the Majestic Hotel on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, which was previously owned by Susie.

The VanLandingham Family owned a mountain home in Linville, NC, where they spent their summers in cooler climate. They re-created the mountain feeling here on the estate by covering the grounds with rhododendrons, cedars and cypress, including a picturesque garden amidst the acres. In fact, the VanLandingham family had stone delivered from Linville. This stone became incorporated in the structure of the home, as well as around the driveways and gardens. The Estate was left to his son Ralph Jr., who never married. Upon his death in 1970, the house and the grounds were willed to The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, in the hopes that it would become the Chancellor’s residence. Since UNCC already owned a home in Myers Park, they graciously held the VanLandingham Estate for seven years. Before selling the Estate, the VanLandingham Glen was created on the UNCC campus using rhododendron transplants from the garden.  In the first attempt to sell the home, the house was almost sold to a developer who wanted to destroy the house and build a high-rise.  Thankfully, the house was saved when it was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

UNCC then sold the home to the Cline family as a personal residence. The Cline’s owned it for 10 years and in 1986 it became the Charlotte Symphony ASID Designer House. Jack Bowden then purchased the home in 1987. He accomplished major renovations by redoing bathrooms, updating the plumbing and heating systems, adding air conditioning, gas logs in the fireplaces and many other improvements. Mr. Bowden began to receive special requests from friends and neighbors to have weddings and small gatherings on his large property; thus he decided to open the Estate to special occasions to hold weddings, receptions and several other social gatherings. After Mr. Bowden’s death in January 1994, his daughter Margaret and her husband Mark Gilleskie took over the business. They presided over major landscaping improvements and complete renovation of the carriage house. Today, this magnificent estate is owned and operated by a group of local businesspersons, known as Unique Southern Estates. They are also the proud owners of The Morehead Inn in Dilworth. Since the purchase, Unique Southern Estates has spent over a million dollars in renovations, going to great lengths to paint the entire house (inside and out) updating plumbing, and restoring original fixtures in the bathrooms. The grounds and gardens are always in bloom year round. The décor in each room has been carefully selected so that every room provides a unique experience. The VanLandingham Estate Inn & Conference Center is a Beautiful place to relax and rest your soul!

Afternoon Tea At The Morehead Inn

You Are Cordially Invited…

Our sister property The Morehead Inn is hosting an Afternoon Tea Social!

Be sure to don your fanciest of hats and laciest of gloves…

The Menu Features A Delightfully & Delectable Array  Of Afternoon Accompaniment’s…

Homemade Tea Sandwiches, Petit Cakes, Cookies,  Scones,  Seasonal Fruit, Jams, Butter and Delicious Spreads

Hope to see you there!

 

 

Saturday, April 2, 2011
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Group Seatings Available
Reservations Only
$28.00 per person

1122 East Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
(704) 376-3357
www.moreheadinn.com