by ELIZABETH HEY
Located smack dab in the middle of fraternity row across from the University of Missouri campus, this Georgian colonial bed and breakfast is a gem.

Innkeeper Deb Strid and her husband, Marc, say that guests and parents of MU students return to The Gathering Place year after year. Marc has a master’s in hospitality management and also works as MU’s Director of Educational Technologies for the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Lumber baron Hugh Davenport and his wife, Cora, built the house in 1906. After 1917, it served as a home for widows before being converted to individual apartments and, then, a fraternity house. Transformed into a bed and breakfast in 1996 by individual owners, it was purchased in 2008 by the College of Agriculture Foundation, a private corporation. Today, the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources leases the home, which is managed by the Strids—an unusual setup that works well.

White woodwork contrasts with dark walnut floors that were milled locally in Boone County. Tastefully decorated with antiques, such as a burled walnut buffet and pristine oak pie cabinet, some pieces are from the Cornett Collection, a north central Missouri family that left its farm and furnishings to the Ag school. The formal dining area’s centerpiece is a leaded glass window acquired in Shakertown, Kentucky. Five suites on three floors offer guests plenty of options. Bathrooms are completely modern, and individual rooms use a keyless entry system.

Originally the Strids dreamed of opening a restaurant, but now Deb channels that passion into finding new recipes online and in magazines. Deb and Marc share chef responsibilities.

At check-in, each guest receives a breakfast menu from which to choose the next morning’s meal. The main entrée, usually an egg dish, changes daily. Accompaniments and à la carte items vary from cornmeal pancakes, a German apple pancake, beef hash or from-scratch potato sides. Deb loves tea and offers more than a dozen special order flavors. Marc roasts Honduran and Guatemalan coffee beans that support third-world farms.

“Marc started roasting about 12 years ago in a popcorn popper and recently built his own custom roaster,” says Deb. “We found a source for green coffee beans on one of the mission trips that we took with students from The Rock church, located on campus.”

Also unique, the B&B is operated by MU’s hospitality management program. Most of the staff are students from the program who perform housekeeping and laundry duties, serve breakfast and manage scheduling and reservations.

“At 7 a.m., I have students here who set the tables, do prep work in the kitchen and serve our guests,” says Deb. “They gain invaluable experience.”

Visit GatheringPlaceBedAndBreakfast.com for more information.