HARPERS FERRY W.Va · 1899
YOUR SHIFT BEGINS HERE.
More than a century ago, men walked out this door for one of the most dangerous jobs in West Virginia. Now the house is waking up again.
Quarryman's Rest is an immersive overnight experience inside a historic 1899 quarryman's home—built to pull you out of the present and into the lost world of industrial Bakerton.
↓ EXPLORE QUARRYMAN'S REST ↓
The Village of Bakerton, W.Va
Before it was quiet, Bakerton roared.
Tucked along the Potomac River just outside of Harpers Ferry, Bakerton was more than a company town. It was the heart of West Virginia's lime industry.
By the turn of the 20th century, the Washington Building Lime Company's works here employed almost 1,000 men.
Bakerton, W.Va
HOUSER-MAHONEY HOUSE · EST. 1899
Lime was money.
This was home.
While Bakerton's quarries roared around the clock, the men who worked them returned home to houses like this one. Built in 1898 and completed in 1899, the Houser–Mahoney House was home to countless quarrymen and their families. More than a century later, it survives as a remarkably intact piece of Bakerton's working-class past.
For nearly half a century, its rooms sat silent. Now the Houser–Mahoney House is coming back to life as Quarryman’s Rest—an immersive overnight experience that will invite you to step through its door and into the lost world of industrial Bakerton.
THE QUARRYMAN EXPERIENCE
The Bakerton of 1900 has disappeared.
We're building a way back in.
You'll arrive at Quarryman's Rest in the present. How long you stay there is another matter.
Somewhere between the road and the front door, the century begins to slip. The quarry stirs in the distance. Men are down at the works. The kilns are burning. A whistle carries across the village, and suddenly the century between their Bakerton and yours doesn't feel quite so wide.
This house doesn't know it's historic. It's just home.
Here, 1900 isn't then. It's now.
That's the world we are building at Quarryman's Rest. Not a past observed from a century away, but a world that seems to be carrying on all around you.
Designed to be explored
The Night Shift
The quarry needs another hand. Take a lantern and report for your first shift as a new quarryman. Follow the work, learn the trade—and find out whether you have what it takes to make it through the night.
What Was Left Behind
Look closer. Open the drawers. Turn things over. Read what was left behind. Touch the things you're usually told not to touch. History is hidden throughout the house, waiting for curious guests to find it.
Quarryman's Trail
Every man left a trail. Choose a real quarryman from Bakerton's past and follow his story through the house. Piece together the clues, uncover what history left behind, and discover the person behind the name.
Voices from the Village
The village isn't as quiet as it looks. Ask the people who lived here about their lives, their work and their world—or listen in when they don't know you're there.
How much of Bakerton you find is up to you.
Follow one story or follow them all. Quarryman's Rest doesn't hand you the past. It leaves the door open.
Ready to clock in?
Put your name on the roll.
Restoration Progress Notes
The House is Waking Up.
Quarryman's Rest is still a work in progress. After nearly five decades of abandonment, the Houser-Mahoney House at Quarryman's Rest is being carefully stabilized and restored to its original glory. We're busily working to preserve what has survived while prepping the house and grounds for its next chapter.
Saving Quarryman's Rest means preserving the voices of forgotten quarrymen for generations to come. -- M + K--
Restoration Field Guide
Houser-Mahoney House
Research, Planning & Site Preparation
I. PHASE ONE
- COMPLETE
Stabilization & Weatherproofing
II. PHASE TWO
- UP NEXT
- Beginning Spring 2027
Restoration & Rehabilitation
III. PHASE THREE
- PLANNED
- Beginning Fall 2027
Experience Development
IV. PHASE FOUR
- IN PROGRESS
- ONGOING
Want restoration updates?
YOUR QUARTERS at Quarryman's Rest
YOUR STAY.
The present can wait until morning.
Quarryman's Rest may take you back to 1900, but we're leaving the hardships there. Behind the history is a comfortable, thoughtfully equipped private stay with everything you need to settle in, slow down, and feel at home.
Chase every story. Work a shift. Listen in on historical villagers. Open drawers, follow clues, and see how much of Bakerton you can uncover. Or don't. Make coffee. Sleep in. Sit on the porch. Explore Harpers Ferry and the incredible historic landscape surrounding us. Come back and put your feet up and tell stories around the firepit. Quarryman's Rest is only as immersive as you want it to be.
FOUR GUESTS. ONE HOUSE. ANOTHER CENTURY.
Close to Everything. Far From Now.
Quarryman's Rest is tucked away in the quiet village of Bakerton, between Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown, and Sharpsburg. Spend the day exploring restaurants, trails, shops, battlefields, history, and everything else you came for. Then follow the road home and leave the present behind.
Make Yourself at Home.
The quarrymen who lived in houses like this didn't think of them as historic. They called them home. For the night, you can too. Cook breakfast, make coffee, grill outside, settle in, and enjoy the whole house as your own. We don't just want you to visit the past. We want you to make yourself at home in it.
Leave No Stone Unturned. Or Do.
There is no wrong way to stay here. Some guests will follow every trail and uncover every story they can find. Others will stumble across a secret or two along the way. And some may leave the past entirely undisturbed. How far you step into Bakerton is completely up to you.
The Little Things Are Covered.
Your provisions are covered. We're keeping the hardships in 1900, but not the hospitality. Expect fresh linens, toiletries, kitchen essentials, coffee, tea, breakfast basics, and the everyday comforts you'd rather not pack. Bring the things you can't live without, and we'll handle the rest.
Help Build Olde Bakerton
Your story belongs here.
Bakerton was built by real people. Quarrymen, railroad men, laborers, businessmen, proprietors, and their families. Their stories are the heart of Quarryman's Rest. If your family lived here, worked in the quarries, on one of the many railroad spurs, or kept shop in the village, we'd be honored to hear from you.
Photographs & Slides
Stories & Memories
Letters & Documents
Items & Artifacts
Every piece of history helps us recreate an authentic experience and may even help bring your family's story into the house.
We're Matt & Kaila
Seventh-generation residents with a penchant for turning little ideas into ambitious projects and fun experiences. Quarryman's Rest began as an old house and a simple idea. Somewhere along the way, we decided to bring Bakerton back with it.
Three generations of Bakerton quarrymen from my family, photographed right here in the village.
FAQ · Before You Report for Duty
A Few Things You Might Be Wondering
(For the information of prospective guests and interested parties.)
Quarryman's Rest · HARPERS FERRY W.Va ·
Be here when the whistle blows.
Bakerton has been waiting more than a century for another shift. One day soon, the light will come on, the whistle will sound, and the door will open.
Be among the first through it. Put your name down for the next shift for behind-the-scenes restoration updates, invitations to special events, priority booking when reservations open, and a chance to win a free night for two. The house has waited more than fifty years for another guest. Be among the first back through the door.
Join The Waitlist Roll
Free to join. No commitment.
We won't wear out the telegraph wire.
We only send word when there's something worth saying. By joining the roll, you agree to receive emails from Quarryman's Rest. Unsubscribe anytime.
DON'T MISS THE SIGNAL.
THE NEXT SHIFT IS FILLING FAST. Join the ranks now and be among the first called when it's time to clock in.
