Belvedere Inn, Hannibal
May 2020
In Italian, belvedere means beautiful view, and The Belvedere Inn lives up to its name. Built in 1859, the Italianate mansion showcased a 360-degree panorama of the Mississippi River Valley. That view still remains from the rectangular structure perched atop the house, which helped cool the home in the days before air conditioning.
“Today, it’s a fantastic two-story suite, like sleeping in a treehouse,” says innkeeper Pat Berg Yapp.
Built by Alfred Lamb, president of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, this two story suite often hosted Lamb’s personal friend, Mark Twain. In 2008, Pat and Bob Yapp purchased the dilapidated house. Pat, a former social worker, had dreamed of owning a bed and breakfast. Bob, a nationally-recognized restoration expert had managed projects nationwide, including at Mount Vernon. He wanted to restore a property that would also become the location for his school, The Belevedere School for Hands-On Preservation.
After seven years, the fully restored 7,900-square-foot mansion includes geothermal heating and air conditioning. And the billiard room is, once again, open for guests. Original prints, photographs and poster art, many by local artists, grace the walls. So much so, that guests ask if the couple formerly owned an art gallery. Two sitting porches include the east porch, which can be used for luncheons and small gatherings.
“We’ve been fortunate that relatives of the three previous owners stayed here and gave us photos,” says Pat. “Every room configuration looks as it did in 1859, except for the modernized kitchen where Bob milled yellow pine beams to build the cabinets. The beams were originally used for rafts that floated the Mississippi carrying goods in the early 1800s.”
Breakfast features seasonal fruits and vegetables from Terripin Farms CSA, which delivers weekly during the growing season. Pat’s specialties include homemade bread and local jams, Dutch apple or peach pancakes and egg dishes using farm-fresh vegetables. Starbucks French roast coffee is freshly ground each morning, and there’s a wide selection of teas.
A recent renovation for guests is the 1840s house next door with its own kitchen, laundry, two bedrooms and common room. Pat remarked that every owner had an infamous history, from land speculators and con men to a notorious slave trader and his family who served as inspiration for several of Twain’s characters.
Visit BelvedereInnHannibal.com for more information.