What started as a hobby for one gay couple from North Carolina translated into a move westward to Chicago, where their passion for hospitality has become their full-time profession.
Bruce Boyd and Wayde Cartwright are the co-owners and innkeepers at Lang House Bed & Breakfast, formerly known as Cat's Cradle Bed & Breakfast, located at 7421 N. Sheridan Rd. The couple of 28 years relocated to Chicago six years ago for jobs, accompanied by their child, a 13-year-old Welsh terrier named Bosco. In the process, they left behind their first bed and breakfast, Tree Tops, which the duo operated in their spare time.
"We loved it. I baked fresh chocolate-chip cookies [for guests] all the time," Boyd said, adding that he and Cartwright are excited about starting a similar establishment on Chicago's North Side. "We liked the idea of having an urban setting for a bed and breakfast because most people don't think of them being in large urban areas."
Before Lang House became a bed-and-breakfast, it was a private residence for a number of families. When the home was originally erected in 1919 by architect Edgar M. Newman, what's known today as Rogers Park was instead called Birchwood Beach Estates. There were no high-rise buildings nor were there apartment buildings on the lots between the mansion and the lakefront, and the families enjoyed a view of Lake Michigan.
Within the last couple years, Boyd and Cartwright began the renovation and restoration process for the house, a four-square Prairie-style mansion that they say is most practical to operate as a rental property instead of a private residence. That also goes for the next door property they also manage, the Emil Bach House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1915 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Wright's heavy influence on Newman's design of Lang House reflects in various details of the home, including the style and pattern of the stained glass windows. Starting in April, the Emil Bach House will open as a vacation and events rental.
"Part of the reason for Lang House being a bed and breakfast and [the Emil Bach House] being a vacation rental is that it's very costly to restore them and keep them up," said Boyd, who added it'd be hard for most modern-day single families to handle all the particulars. "It's one way of making them useful in today's society."
Lang House also has historic ties with other neighborhood institutions. Near the time it was built, the Touhy and Rogers families gradually developed the marshland in the area, advertising the lots as a 'country club beach style getaway," according to the Lang House website. Both families have named streets nearby, and the Rogers family's contributions to the area's development were recognized when the neighborhood was renamed Rogers Park. During World War II, Mundelein College used the mansion as a dormitory before the all-female Roman Catholic college merged with Loyola University Chicago. The basement also housed the budding operations of one local radio station.
Decades later, Boyd and Cartwright have taken both Lang House and the historic landmark next door, working down to the finest detailsincluding items such as painting pigments and brick stylesto renovate each mansion for historical accuracy and open them up to the community. The revamped bed and breakfast is becoming increasingly popular as a venue for weddings and receptions, including four same-sex couples who have reserved the event space for their celebrations in June.
"We're making it a point to let the LGBT community know that this bed and breakfast is a place where they can relax comfortably in a welcoming environment within a diverse neighborhood," Boyd said, adding that the home has gotten an influx of LGBT guests, but remains open to guests of all backgrounds.
All five rooms available for rent are located on the second floor, with the owners residing on the third floor, ready and available to assist guests at any time. Each room features a private bathroom, with heated floors and heated towel bars, and all five rooms are equipped with unique furnishing and decor for a distinct look and feel.
Other amenities include a basement sauna with an on-call massage therapist, as well as a spacious lounge area equipped with games, a shuffleboard table and flat screen televisions. Various customers in the neighborhood have used Lang House like a spare bedroom or guestroom, housing friends and family members visiting from out of town.
Boyd and Cartwright will host an LGBT open house event April 27, allowing community members a special opportunity to tour the property. Guided tours of the Emil Bach home will be offered beginning May 7. Tickets will be $12 to the general public.
"We want to open it up for the neighbors so that people know it is part of the community," Boyd said. "Then they'll know what's happening here.
For more information on Lang House Bed & Breakfast, including reservations, rates and other specific features, visit www.langhousechicago.com .