In 1886 Robert Inglis Phinney (1853 – 1946) built a two storey farmhouse at 10 Main Street Middleton, on part of the farm property opposite his father's home. The 1891 census of Middleton records Robert I. Phinney (farmer), his wife Mary and four children as residents at that time. Since its construction, this Victorian Farmhouse has housed four generations of Phinneys, was used as a rental property, and then fully restored by Richard and Shae Griffith to become a Bed & Breakfast in 1991.

The large country kitchen is courtesy of Mary (Phinney) Fisher, granddaughter of Robert. Mary was a Home Economics teacher in Middleton and updated the kitchen with ample cupboards and space saving layout in the 1950’s. In the rest of the house, the trim work, hand-grained doors, porcelain doorknobs and arched windows with delightfully imperfect rolled glass are all original features. Pre-dating a local mill, the interior mouldings were cut on site, with Mr. Phinney's brother, a carpenter, doing all the trim work for $20.00! A jointed arch over the massive front door is of special interest to woodworkers. The Griffiths added a solarium on the back of the house in 1991, and as it turns out even that is in keeping with the original design, as the Fishers removed a woodshed ell from the back of the house in 1946, when they updated the heating to oil. The trim work in the parlour is different wood than in the other downstairs rooms – painted and not stained. The explanation for this is that the main living areas of the house were finished first with the seldom-used parlour left till later. Having run short of money (and fancy wood), the trim was made from pine, which was then painted.

Century Farm Inn is furnished with an eclectic collection of antiques from different times, styles and years, so that it looks like an old family farmhouse. Since quilts would have been the bed coverings of choice back when the house was first built each room has a quilted piece or wall hanging, highlighting the colour scheme of the room. When the house was built, there was one bedroom on the ground floor for grandparents or elderly relatives who found climbing stairs difficult and we have kept this tradition, so we have a downstairs bedroom as well as three bedrooms upstairs.

Many interesting bits of history were uncovered while doing restoration work, such as a strawberry picker’s check signed by Farmer/builder Robert. Mary Fisher graciously made a visit to Middleton while the Griffiths were renovating and contributed some old family photos to aid in the restoration process. The colours selected for the Century Farm Inn are consistent with the original exterior paint which was cream with dark burgundy accent. When we renovated, we tried to keep everything as authentic as possible. We did add private ensuite bathrooms but we have kept the historical character of the building at the same time. There are several pictures and articles tracing the Phinney family history from their “Mayflower” origins and Plymouth and Barnstable, Massachusetts where they lived prior to their 1770 arrival in Nova Scotia. Artist Audrey Phinney Goucher-Millett gave us an exceptionally fine rendering of the original 1770 Phinney homestead which was in Paradise, NS, but is no longer standing.

Our 110 acre property, known as "Fairfield Farm", is a nature lover's paradise. There are trails for walking and lots of opportunities for birders to see a number of species in the century-old maples that surround our Century Farm Inn. Wildlife abounds with deer, pheasants, beaver, fox and muskrats being found along both the Slocum Brook and the Annapolis River, which meander along our property. A glance out the windows at the Century Farm Inn reveals splendid views of the North and South Mountains.

We have had guests from all over the world - Latvia, the United States, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Holland. Part of the fun of the hospitality business is meeting such wonderful people. We have hosted a number of well known guests, including former Canadian Prime Minister Joseph Clark, current Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald and writer Robert Carroll (I Love Lucy Show). The New England Austin Healey Car Club voted our Bed & Breakfast one of three favorites in Nova Scotia and have repeatedly booked in for tours.

Within walking distance from our historic Bed & Breakfast there are Nova Scotia historic sites, restaurants, shops, museums, recreational facilities, tourist bureau and boutiques. Four golf courses are within a fifteen-minute drive and it's a seven-minute drive to the Bay of Fundy shore. We are also centrally located for day trips – whale watching, National parks and Historic sites such as Grand Pre, Fort Anne and the Habitation; Lunenburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the south shore Lighthouse route.

Excerpt taken from Annapolis Valley Historical Society Christmas House Tour
December, 1995.

***See also "The Phinney Family" by Fred E. Cox