By Staff
CENTURY HOUSE The Century House Bed and Breakfast is in downtown Meridian. Don and Mamie Nobles bought the home, built in 1902, in December 2000. The bed and breakfast is within walking distance of Meridian's historic Temple Theater, the Meridian Museum of Art and future Riley Education and Performing Arts Center. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Penny Randall / staff writer
Nov. 17, 2002
The guest registry sits on top of a small antique desk in the parlor of the six-bedroom, 100-year-old Century House Bed and Breakfast near downtown Meridian.
Century House has been open since August. But it already has three pages of hand-written comments from guests who have praised the city's newest bed-and-breakfast.
Others were just as positive. "I enjoyed my stay," wrote a Denver, Colo., visitor; "My lucky day," said a man from Brooksville, Fla.; "Thanks for the hospitality," added a visitor from Queens.
And then there was this from Pam and Jack Swenney from Charlotte, N.C., who were vacationing in September, about the time a tropical storm hit the Gulf Coast: ""A wonderful refuge from Isidore."
Don and Mamie Nobles of Meridian, owners of the Century House, have been pleased with the reactions from their guests so far.
Longtime dream
Don, who is in real estate management, and Mamie, a Northeast Middle School teacher, have dreamed for years of owning their own bed-and-breakfast. They've always been fans of bed-and-breakfast inns.
Don and Mamie bought the Century House, a three-story antebellum home at 2412 Ninth St., in December 2000. After extensive renovations, they were finally ready to open in August.
The Century House is within walking distance of the Temple Theatre, the Meridian Museum of Art, the Grand Opera House of Mississippi and what will be the Riley Education and Performing Arts Center.
Something different
And while Meridian has its fair share of hotels and motels, Don and Mamie said their bed-and-breakfast offers something different.
Don and Mamie said they also believe guests find it interesting waking up and knowing they're in a home built in 1902.
The Century House was restored to the way it looked when it was originally built. The bed-and-breakfast features neoclassical architecture with exterior siding that resembles stone.
The front of the house features four columns and a large porch; the second floor features a balcony. Inside the house are hardwood floors and 12-foot ceilings.
The home
The bed-and-breakfast has six bedrooms.
One second-floor bedroom is a honeymoon suite with a queen-size bed and heart-shaped whirlpool tub. Another is an executive suite with a four-poster bed and adjoining bath with a whirlpool tub.
Downstairs features two bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a parlor and foyer with a baby grand piano.
Furnishings in the Century House are all classic design. Don and Mamie said half of the fun was traveling to antique auctions to search for pieces for the home.
Many items are also family pieces handed down from generation to generation.