Ozark B&B offers Barn Again experience to guests

by Kris Ann Hegle

SBJ Contributing Writer

The stones around the circular flower bed once formed the foundation of an old wooden silo. The bed and breakfast itself consists of two historic big red barns and a house.

Sound unusual? That's part of the charm of Barn Again, a bed and breakfast inn located in downtown Ozark.

Owners Mark and Susan Bryant live in one of the renovated barns, which was built around 1910. Their home abounds with tidbits of local history.

Visitors to Barn Again pass through a set of doors that once hung in an old bank in Weaubleau. Legend has it Jesse James once passed through these very doors when he came to rob the town's bank.

Just inside, an antique saloon lamp hangs from the high ceiling of the entryway. The lamp illuminates the beams that crisscross the ceiling of the large dining room where breakfast is served.

Some of the antiques found in the dining room and common area were purchased at one of the shops or antique malls that can be found in Ozark. Others were handed down from family members. Almost every piece of furniture, from the antique sewing machine to the kitchen cabinets, has a bit of nostalgia to it.

The Bryants opened Barn Again four years ago. Since buying the place, they have converted a second barn, which lies just across the courtyard, into another guest house. Built in the 1920s, the milking parlor of the dairy barn has been converted into three large guest rooms, which cost $89 to $109 per night.

"We pay attention to detail and stress cleanliness," Susan Bryant said. "We provide our guests with upscale service without charging them upscale prices."

Each room in the guest barn has a different theme. The Ivy Room is wheelchair accessible and contains a pineapple poster bed and sitting area with a church pew. Hand-painted ivy adorns the walls, and the room is decorated in shades of green and cream.

The Amish Suite features Amish quilts, dolls, a claw-footed bathtub and comfortable chairs that allow guests to gaze out the bay windows to the guest pool just beyond the barn. The room has an authentic feel to it, which the Bryants attributed to the Amish themselves who were hired to renovate the barn.

The Rose Room, which has a Jacuzzi for two and wicker and oak furniture, is favored by honeymooners. Several weddings have taken place in a tiny chapel on the grounds, which contains stained glass windows dating to 1879.

Just beyond the chapel is a remodeled farm house. The Farmhouse Suites cost $89 to $189 per night and comprise three guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gas-log fireplace and a large porch with a swing.

The house, like the barns, is listed on the Ozark historic register and is filled with antiques. The Bryants, however, have added many modern conveniences.

"We've traveled a lot, and we decided to incorporate the better ideas we've seen at other bed and breakfasts," Mark Bryant said. "Every guest room has a private entrance, a private bath, a fridge and a color TV. We've also added a number of little things, like luxury linens, special soaps and homemade cookies."

Out-of-area guests usually find out about Barn Again on the Internet or from Bed & Breakfast Inns of Missouri, which has inspected and approved all the facilities. Recently, Barn Again was featured in the August 1999 issue of Midwest Living.

While Barn Again attracts some tourists, most of the guests live in the area and several are repeat customers. According to the Bryants, many visitors hardly leave the grounds during their stay. Some occupy their time by taking walks along a path on the property, to a nearby spring. Others swim, play horseshoes or basketball. A few venture out to Riverside Inn or go antique hunting in Ozark.

Like many small-business owners, the Bryants face a number of challenges, the biggest of which is time. In addition to running Barn Again, Mark Bryant works full-time at Merrill Lynch, and Susan Bryant works part-time at Empire Bank.