About the Bridges Inn at Whitcomb House

About the Inn

This quintessential inn is a sprawling Victorian-style house situated in the quaint and quiet village of West Swanzey, five miles from downtown Keene. The décor of this building is lovely with uniquely decorated rooms, tin ceiling, and many antiques. One of the bathrooms has a tin tub which is reputed to be the oldest tin tub in Swanzey. The inn is located a stone's throw from the historic Tompson Covered Bridge and near the other Cheshire County covered bridges for which the inn is named. Each of the guest rooms is named for one of the nearby covered bridges.

This historic house, called the “Old Mansion” and “Stratton Place” over the years, was built circa 1792 by Richard Stratton, the wealthy owner of a cotton and woolen mill in the village of West Swanzey. Richard Stratton’s son, John, married Susannah Whitcomb and they lived in the "Old Mansion."

Click here to read more about the history.

About the Innkeepers

In November 2006, Susan (Schuster) Karalekas bought the inn, fulfilling a long-held dream of owning a Bed and Breakfast. Susan’s experience in the hospitality industry stems from being born into a family who owned restaurants in Maine during Susan’s childhood, working in restaurants and food service throughout her high school and college years, and extensive travel throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Central America, Thailand, and Australia, which has given her the opportunity to see the hospitality industry through the eyes of a tourist. She thoroughly enjoys being an innkeeper, chatting with guests from around the world, and suggesting attractions, restaurants, and events that meet guests’ particular needs and interests.

Susan’s academic and professional background is in applied psycholinguistics, communications, and writing, which landed her in the field of technical writing. She has also done a variety of volunteer work, including serving on the board of many non-profit organizations.

In June 2009, Susan married Nick, a history professor at a local college. In addition to teaching, he enjoys writing, music, and tennis, all of which the Monadnock Region makes comfortable to pursue. He quickly adapted to the B&B and pitches in where needed.

In addition to Susan and Nick, this family-run inn consists of Susan’s personable son, David, a chef who repeatedly delights guests with his delicious, creative, and aesthetically presented breakfasts. David has also assumed a major role in the inn’s accounting and other aspects of managing the inn.

Elizabeth shares her expertise in customer service, marketing, purchasing, and cooking. She also has a passion for keeping the inn as “green” as possible by recycling, composting, purchasing environmentally friendly supplies, organic coffee, and other organic / natural food products, and doing anything to keep us environmentally responsible and conscientious.

Click here to read more about the Innkeeper’s family.