PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- The newly renovated Washington Inn and Tavern on Somerset Avenue held its grand re-opening Wednesday. The official ribbon cutting for the historic hotel drew lots of people downtown, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.
The project started nearly four years ago and had its challenges, according to owner, Ian Fleming.
The grand re-opening was a big deal for Princess Anne, Somerset Avenue was shut down to accommodate the grand event. There's high hopes for the spark in growth the newly renovated Washington Inn and Tavern can bring to downtown Princess Anne.
Fleming said he took on the project because the area has lots of potential.
"There's already some good businesses established here and rather than us compete with them, we all work alongside offering something slightly different, which makes Princess Anne as a whole a much more attractive offering," Fleming said.
Fleming said promoting the town's historical properties and rich history is important.
"It makes it one of the undiscovered secrets of the Eastern Shore because no one is really looked upon Princess Anne as a hidden secret, a hidden gem, but I think that's potentially what it is," Fleming said.
Neighboring business owners, like Mary Misencik are excited for the hotel's reopening.
"I think its going to bring people off 13 which we need. It's going to bring a lot more people from out of town and we've had customers say they ate there with their parents or their grandparents and they want to take their kids and their grandkids there because they have memories of eating there," Misencik said.
Shivan Wright said downtown Princess Anne was at a loss when the hotel closed, but the reopening is giving new hope for a lot of people.
"It will be a great thing for jobs because where we are in Somerset. It will be a good thing for everybody and it's good for the community and downtown," Wright said.
The grand opening marks the end of one journey and the beginning of one of the jewels of the Eastern Shore.
