By Adam Bailey
Minden, LA. Nestled in the heart of the Historic Residential District is the recently-opened Huffman Manor Inn—a four-room boutique B&B known for its personalized experiences, home-cooked breakfast, historic architecture, and warm hospitality. This quaint bed-and-breakfast aims to celebrate the season with festive decorations and lights galore.
Truth be told, this 5,600-square-foot Georgian-style home remains in its original splendor—evoking the classic architecture of the times, but with modern amenities for a comfortable experience. And even before the Thanksgiving plates have been cleared, property owners Jim and Kimberly Huffman have already hung the garland, decorated the trees, and thrown open their front door to what they hope is an endless cavalcade of holiday guests.
“Forget the 12 days of Christmas,” says Jim. “For me, it’s more like 112 days here. Think Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation—but much, much bigger. I want people to see my house!”
The way Jim and Kimberly see it, they are simply carrying on a tradition that comes with owning a piece of property in a small-town historic district—originally designed by prominent local businessman Samuel Grigsby for his wife, Sallie Drake, in 1910. Needless to say, over the years, this grand home has seen its fair share of entertaining, intimate gatherings, and dinner parties. “Oh, where should I start,” says Kimberly of the countless stories she has unearthed since purchasing the property in August of 2022. “You’ll need to hear the story about stomping the gizzard. Or the one where Mr. Grigsby built a brick viewing box so his wife could enjoy watching tennis.” If only the walls could talk.
But, as cache as that saying goes, they walls have spoken—literally! “We found several boxes of the original wallpaper in the attic. We also found an old silver coffee urn in the rafter, just sitting there.”
According to both Jim and Kimberly, it was the history of the house—along with the idyllic setting overlooking Main Street—which instantly appealed to them from the very start. “I grew up in an historic district in South Alabama,” recalls Jim of his child home in Mobile’s De Tonti Square. “I’ve also lived in Charleston and Memphis, both cemented in history and culture. Minden has a significant and beautiful historic area, and both Kimberly and I were instantly drawn to that. From the shopping to the restaurants to people.”
Still, as with any historic home, there was work and restoration to be done and prior renovations to undo. “The property had been in the same family for over a hundred years, and it really hadn’t been touched much in that time,” Jim acknowledged. Its new owners discovered that some of the walls were more structurally unsound than they had expected, and the floors were in horrible shape. “When we bought the home, honestly, it was in need of some attention. It had seen it all—from being a family home to a restaurant to an event center in its more-than-100-year history. It was sorely in need of a renovation.”
Being in the hospitality business as his full-time job, and with several renovations under his belt, Jim, along with Kimberly, weren’t at all intimidated by the scope of the project. “When we left the closing table, we immediately started the process of stripping back the layers to get it closer to its original finishes,” says Jim. “It was a pretty big, dusty mess when we first got in there.” They started with all the essential structural requirements before tackling each project, room-by-room, and have completed much of the renovation work in a series of steady phases. “It is proof that patience really does pay off,” notes Kimberly.
Renovating a period home is rarely a quick process, but both Jim and Kimberly had a shared vision of a blissful transformation, no matter the challenge, and were prepared to take the long view. And, after sympathetically returning the home to its earliest incarnation, it has been masterfully updated while remaining true to its elegant period details (all the while adding a few modern updates, such a charging stations and Wi-Fi).
Renovating a period home is rarely a quick process, but both Jim and Kimberly had a shared vision of a blissful transformation, no matter the challenge, and were prepared to take the long view. And, after sympathetically returning the home to its earliest incarnation, it has been masterfully updated while remaining true to its elegant period details (all the while adding a few modern updates, such a charging stations and Wi-Fi).
“I love the wallpaper in the entry foyer,” Kimberly says. “And even though we still have a ways to go, I’m most proud of the way that everything is coming together.”
Today, both Jim and Kimberly now find that the house is ready to shine for this upcoming holiday season. Entering through the front door you can’t help but feel a sense of calm. Scents of cinnamon, pine, and clove emanate from all the Christmas decorations.
The colors, elegant art pieces, and lavish furniture make you feel as if you walked straight into a luxury home magazine. “Did I mention that I just love Christmas,” Jim says with a grin. “I mean I really love Christmas.”
Decked halls, Christmas trees in every guest room, and wrapped gifts are surrounded by an elegant mix of antiques and eclectic art. An assortment of elaborately themed decorations complements the fresh garland that pops against the pristine palette, and a plethora of assorted Christmas décor perfectly makes any guest feel right at home. “And the best part? A steady stream of guests mingling all season
long, Jim confidently projects. “They’ll always be something going on here this holiday season. We will try to add a little element of surprise at each and every turn.” “And why not? Kimberly adds. “This house is really meant to be shared with everyone.”
