Spotlight On: The 1910 House Bed & Breakfast

Where do visitors to Scotch Plains and Fanwood spend the night when there isn’t a single hotel or motel in town? Innkeepers Michael and Kathleen Tatsch hope to provide an alternative solution: The 1910 House, a historic bed and breakfast located near downtown Scotch Plains.

The Queen Anne style building was constructed almost a century ago in 1910 and was kept in the builder’s family and passed down through three generations before the Tatshes purchased it in 2000. The couple has taken great care to outfit the B&B per the time period and have scoured antique stores for Victorian pieces dating as far back as the dining room’s 1850 sideboard. Scottish lace curtains adorn the windows, Edwardian era prints, chandeliers, and light fixtures hang from above, and a cast iron claw foot bath graces the shared bathroom, all adding up to what Michael Tatsch hopes will be “a really unique experience that you won’t find with traditional lodging.”

The 1910 House offers two double and one single occupancy rooms, each named after the theme of the décor: The Crystal Room, The Harrison Fisher Room (a “Saturday Evening Post” artist), and The St. Bernard Room. Tenants share one bathroom, as well as a living room, parlor, dining room, and the grounds. While the B&B also features the home’s original hot water radiators and hardwood floors (main floor), a few modern amenities have also been installed, including flat screen cable tvs, air conditioning, and wireless internet access.

The Tatshes first opened their bed and breakfast in January 2009 after utilizing the building as a private home for nine years.

“I’m originally from Texas, but I briefly lived in Branchburg and commuted to Union,” explained Tatsch, a former efficiency expert and corporate consultant. “Every time I passed by Scotch Plains on Route 22, I thought that I might like to live back here somewhere or at least in this area. After I left Texas in 2000, I moved to New Jersey and married my wife. We were not looking for a bed and breakfast. We just wanted to find a house that we liked, and this house had everything we wanted. It had all the qualities of a house built in the Edwardian era. I’ve always kind of liked the turn of the century, the last century. This style of house is what I grew up with. It’s familiar. It’s what my wife and I are used to. It’s hard to find a house like this today.” 

It wasn’t until 2007 that Tatsch decided to completely switch gears and dive into the B&B business. Tatsch and his wife were on the brink of purchasing an existing B&B in Hackettstown when they changed their minds and decided to convert their home into The 1910 House.

“We noticed that there aren’t that many accommodations in the area, and we thought why not? What’s the harm?” Tatsch said. “We still live here, so it’s not a huge risk. Our opening day was Jan. 1, 2009. It took us until the end of January to get our first customer. Then we had an okay February, and then nobody at all in March. We had a little bit of business in April, and then May came and we’ve never looked back.”

The 1910 House has accommodated a wide variety of guests, including international travelers from as far away as Wales, England, Italy, and India. According to Tatsch, many of his guests are single travelers on business and people visiting relatives or attending weddings, family reunions, and high school reunions.

“Our size allows us to do a few little neat things that are not available at other B&Bs,”  Tatsch said. “One is a privacy upgrade fee, which blocks the reservation of the other two rooms. You’re alone. It gives somebody a unique experience because they have the common area and the bathroom all to themselves. We also offer a nice discount to people who book all three rooms and want the whole house to themselves.”

Other amenities offered are a full buffet breakfast including eggs, sausage, hash browns, and sometimes a vegetable strata, fresh fruit and tea served in the afternoon, cordials and chocolates after dinner in the parlor, and complimentary shuttle service to and from the Fanwood train station. The grounds include an outdoor gazebo, a pond stocked with fish, and a patio.

Tatsch is certainly enjoying the change of pace from corporate life and is continually brainstorming new services and ideas with his wife, including Victorian teas for adults and children, tea parties for children, and a new spa package in conjunction with Exclusive Salon and Spa.

“Running The 1910 House is an absolute blast!” he said. “We’re offering a unique experience at a price point that works for both us and the customer. We’re not trying to capture every single person out there. We’re trying to provide an atmosphere that matches up with what someone wants. We’re competitive with the other local lodging rates and offer a different environment. It’s the most fun thing I’ve ever done.”

It may come as a surprise to some local residents, but the 1910 House is not the only B&B in the area. Fanwood’s Walter Gilbert House Bed & Breakfast, which was built in 1822, has operated as a B&B for several years, but is currently for sale.