Beach season may still be many months away, but with the new year comes newly announced off-season specials at many notable Eastern Shore resorts. One hidden gem bed and breakfast in Bethany Beach is even running a special now through the end of January to take note of. The offer comes as a three-night booking, in which the third night is automatically comped. Therefore, in all actuality, you’re really only paying for two nights!
The resort running this month-long special is none other than the elegant Addy Sea Historic Oceanfront Inn. One of the area’s best-kept secret adult-only getaways to escape to, the Addy Sea boasts a fascinating backstory and antiquated past worth discovering more about. That’s why I’m reviewing the notable timeline history behind this most esoteric inn for this Flashback Friday Feature.
The Addy Sea was built by John M. Addy and his wife Jennie between 1901 and 1902. Initially intended as a beachside family retreat away from their permanent residence in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this quaint beachfront home was the fourth of five houses Addy built in the Bethany Beach area. It was also the first to boast the modern convenience of indoor plumbing and gas lighting. While newfangled in its day, installing such features was easier for Addy to accomplish, seeing how he was a plumber by profession.
The beachside retreat served the Addy family well over the next few decades. When the infamous storm of 1927 struck the East Coast, they were forced to have the house physically moved one block west. The new site location was where they already owned four other land lots. This is still the Addy Sea’s current address and that of the added guest house today.
The family’s grown children eventually assumed ownership. By the 1930s (the Depression era), they converted the family home into a boarding house and often rented it out to church groups.
The home remained under the family’s ownership throughout the following decades, even after weathering another disastrous storm (the Storm of ’62). But in 1974, the third-generation Addy heirs decided to sell the property. They asked their neighbor, Leroy T. Gravatte III, to oversee the sale. In the end, Gravatte bought the Addy Sea himself and quickly got to work renovating the property.
Under Gravatte, the Addy saw several stellar restorations and a return to its former glory. In remaining true to the home’s authenticity, Gravatte successfully retained most of the home’s original fixtures. These included the tin ceilings, fireplaces, and many other custom interior callouts. While preserving the past, he also made necessary upgrades by adding modern conveniences and comforts crucial for operating the inn as a historic yet current accommodation of acclaim. Third-generation Jeff Gravatte and his wife Sherene assumed ownership of the Addy Sea in 2016.
Today’s Addy Sea Historic Inn evokes a unique sense of elegance, comfort, and quality that many other antiquated resorts in Bethany Beach can’t lay the same claims to. Now catering exclusively to guests ages 21 and older, the historic main house features 12 timelessly charming rooms (and a Captain’s Quarters). There are also four sea-inspired ones in the guest house. All of these rooms, while maintaining that sense of going back in time, provide amenities such as free Wi-Fi, television, hairdryers, toiletries, a mini fridge, a coffeemaker, and others.
As a guest here, you’re free to utilize all onsite activities and services. These include the complimentary use of beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, outdoor showers, common gathering areas, the veranda, fire pit, lawn games, beach cruiser bikes, and so much more.
Breakfast, lunch, tea, and tantalizing treats are always part of the package deal any time you stay at Addy Sea. Rest assured, you will be pampered!
As an area attraction in and of itself, the Addy Sea is the ultimate destination for hosting major milestone events, like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebratory occasions. Its regally riparian backdrop and private premises (in convenient range to the heart of Bethany Beach action) see to that!
The Addy Sea Historic Oceanfront Inn provides a rare, one-of-a-kind opportunity to escape to a nostalgic nautical haven and experience the closest thing in the world to transcending back in time to the turn of the 20th century. To learn more about the resort, its features, rules, accommodations, and amenities, visit the website at www.addysea.com.