The aroma of fresh baking will welcome you to the Gillum House Bed & Breakfast.
The house at 35 Walnut Street was purchased by Troy and Anna Brane Gillum in 1918. They were business and civic leaders during their years in
Shinnston.
Troy Gillum was the second Station Agent for the B&O Railroad in Shinnston. He served from 1911 until his retirement in 1957. The station
was closed shortly there after.
In addition to being Sunday School Superintendent for many years at the First United Methodist Church, Troy Gillum served the City of Shinnston
as Councilman, Mayor and Recorder/Treasurer. City Council meetings were sometimes held in the library of the house.
After retiring from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel, Mr. Gillum's son, Virgil, was also elected to the office of Mayor.
Your host, Kathleen Panek, has also been privileged to serve the city as a member of Council.
A non-smoking facility, the Gillum House Bed & Breakfast offers three second floor guest rooms, each with its own warmth and atmosphere.
Robes are found in each closet for the use of our guests.
Dolls, kerosene lamps, antique furniture, and original paintings, by John Panek, (your host's husband) are found throughout the house.
All books on the second floor are for the enjoyment of our guests who are invited to take their choice with them, compliments of your host.
The Gillum house is located 50 feet from the West Fork River Trail, 16+ miles along the scenic winding West Fork River from Shinnston to
Fairmont, for bicycles, hikers, and equestrians. Bicycle rental or stable facilities can be arranged.
Due to allergies of the host, pets are not accepted.
Breakfast:
Host Kathleen Panek makes amazingly delicious bread, rolls, and muffins from old family recipes, most of them adapted to very low fat or
fat-free for a healthy breakfast.
Her homemade whole-wheat pancakes were judged by one recent guest as "the best pancakes I have ever had." The pancakes are served
with West Virginia maple syrup. She makes every attempt to accommodate special diet requirements.
Breakfast will be served at a mutually agreeable time in the morning. The full breakfast consists of fresh baked muffins, fruit, choice of at
least 2 juices, the entrée, an assortment of 52 different teas, and freshly ground coffee (some flavored coffees made by your host are also
available).
After breakfast, you may want to take a leisurely walk or bicycle ride on the West Fork River trail. This trail is part of West Virginia's
Rails to Trails program that spans 16 miles from Shinnston to Fairmont.
Special Note:
I am happy to say that I bake all the bread served at Gillum House. In addition, I also make my own pasta when serving dinners with packages.
In addition, I can accommodate special diet needs (my husband is on 20g fat diet and is a Type II diabetic so I am familiar with such diet
needs).
I also keep soy flour in the freezer for gluten intolerant diets.
Rooms:
The shared bath features a claw-foot bathtub with a brass hand-held shower and bath sheets.
There are emergency facilities in every room; there is a chamber pot under every bed!
Guests rooms are on the second floor. Robes for each guest are to be found in the closet of each room.
Each room has its own decorative fireplace.
The Gillum Room:
Two Victorian dolls chat in front of the fireplace in the elegance of this room. The queen four poster bed with pillowtop mattress and
down-filled comforter whisper luxury while the engine and tender above the mantle pay tribute to Mr. Gillum's tenure as B&O Station Agent.
The Harris Room:
This room reflects the "down-home" warmth of the Harris family who purchased the house from the Gillum's. Furnished mostly with
antiques, savor the comfort of the double bed with its handmade quilts and the reading nook complete with lamp, rocker, and books (take your
selections home with you).
Rosi's Room:
A teen-aged Rosemary declared her loves on the walls, thus claiming this room as hers forever. Enjoy the charm and comfort of this room with
its Windsor-style double bed with pillow-top mattress, Egyptian cotton or flannel sheets depending on the season, and down-filled comforter.
Attractions:
- Prickett's Fort
- Fort New Salem
- North Bend Trail
- Anna Jarvis House
- West Fork River Trail
- Levi Shinn Log House
- Tygart Dam State Park
- Covered Bridge at Philippi
- Shinnston Veteran's Memorial
- West Virginia's Historic Covered Bridges
- Antique shops and glass outlets and factories
- Shinnston has the only Chapel of Perpetual Adoration in West Virginia
Nearby State Parks & Recreation:
- Audra State Park
- Cathedral State Park
- Tygart Lake State Park
- Valley Falls State Park
- Coopers Rock State Park
- Prickett's Fort State Park
- Watters Smith State Park
- Stonewall Jackson State Park
8 Trails Available:
- MCPARC Trail
- MonTrail North
- MonTrail South
- Capterton Trail
- West Fork Trail
- North Bend Trail
- Cheat Haven Trail
- Deckers Creek Trail
Close To:
- Overnight Stabling
- 6 area public golf courses
- 45 Minutes from Morgantown
- 15 Minutes from Benedum Airport
- 15 Minutes from Fairmont / Clarksburg
