Hillside Farm
Bed and Breakfast

Hillside Farm Bed and Breakfast is a Pennsylvania farm home in a peaceful Amish Country rural setting featuring an old farmhouse (circa 1863), barn and other outbuildings.

It was once a dairy farm and is still surrounded by one of the largest areas of farmland left of Lancaster County, which guarantees a healthy measure of rest and relaxation. Just a half mile down the road is one of the many Amish farms that dot the area plus a one-room schoolhouse.

The farm has seen a variety of functions from dairy farm to fruit orchards to tenant apartments, but it is best known by local folks as the Davis Farm. Raymond Davis operated a local milk dairy in the 1920's, through the 1930's, and into the 1940's. It is this period that forms the theme for Hillside Farm Bed and Breakfast. Built prior to 1863, the farmhouse is a two-and-a-half-story brick building with a standard design of four main rooms on each floor. Through the years, that design has been modified and now the second floor features cozy bedrooms, each with a spectacularly tranquil view of the surrounding farmland. In fact, all the neighbors are still in the dairy business. Hillside Farm is located in the middle of the largest section of open farmland in the township.

There are a variety of lodging accommodations from which to choose. The main inn has three guest rooms with private baths and one suite. The Meadowview Room, named for a local dairy, has a queen canopy bed and private bath with shower stall. The Sylvan View Room, named for another local dairy, has a queen bed and a private bath with tub and shower. Also available is The Loft on the third floor, which features four twin beds that can be made into kings, a rollaway bed (if needed), a private bath with shower stall, and satellite television with VCR. The Davis Suite has a bath with tub and shower, a bedroom with queen bed, and a sitting room with loveseat, electric stove/fireplace, refrigerator, electric tea kettle, and satellite television with VCR.

The Chicken Coop cottage, which is attached to the back of the barn, was finished in 1999. It features a two-person hot tub surrounded by windows overlooking the meadow, where horses graze. A gas fireplace provides a romantic atmosphere beside the king bed with a handmade quilt. The sitting area has a loveseat and comfortable chair from which to enjoy the satellite television with VCR and DVD/CD player. Movies and music CDs are provided. The dining area has a small kitchen table and chairs, wet bar with sink, microwave, coffee maker, and refrigerator. The large bath has one large sink, toilet, and two-person shower. A small deck outside has two Amish rockers from which to enjoy the view. In 2003, The Stable cottage was opened, with the same amenities as the Chicken Coop.

A full, country all-you-can-eat breakfast is served family-style every morning. Guests in the Country Cottages may choose to have their breakfast brought out to them or dine with other guests in the Inn. Be sure to bring your appetite. Snacks are served all afternoon and evening.

Situated well off the main road, the two-acre grounds are convenient yet secluded enough for a "get away" retreat. The back of the house overlooks Chickies Creek with a view of the mill dam and an old generator house.

On warm evenings, you can sit on the porch under the trees and listen to the owls, bullfrogs, and cows. Enjoy a glass of lemonade and watch the rabbits, squirrels, and woodchucks play in the yard. Occasionally, if the wind is right, a train whistle will drift in from the distance. So rural, there is not even a phone in the bedroom to disturb the peace. So, wake up to the songs of the birds with the creek for background music and decide which direction your day will go. Rest, just be lazy, or relax and do whatever you choose.

On the other hand, if "going and doing" are your relaxation, you will be close to it all. Lancaster County has many attractions: surely something for everyone. To name a few, there are touring opportunities at Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch attractions, biking on a local bike trail, hiking along trails that crisscross the area, visiting local wineries that offer tasting tours, swimming in the public pool or tubing down the Conestoga Creek. Some nearby points of interest you may take to are the Hershey Chocolate World, the Hershey Amusement Park, antiques, the Appalachian Trail, Harrisburg (the State Capital), Gettysburg Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, and Strasburg Railroad.

This is just a sample of the vast selections of activities for those who are so inclined. Of course, you can indulge in old-fashioned favorites from time to time like spinning yarns, swapping tales, shooting the breeze, or that all-time great... watching the grass grow.