My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B. The owners were very accommodating, from offering suggestions on where to eat, places to see and special breakfast accommodations as I am a vegetarian. Our room (#6) was very clean, nicely decorated and had many windows that let in lots of natural light. The full breakfast was delicious and there was always coffee, tea, cider, spring water and hot cocoa available throughout the day. We enjoyed the 2nd level back porch which had rocking chairs and pillows for comfort. Plenty of snacks were provided in the afternoon. The town had many eclectic stores, some fine dining establishments, bookstore, quirky coffee shop (really good coffee) and wine store (knowledgeable staff). Would definitely stay at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B again!

We journeyed up from Central Virginia on the weekend before Susan's birthday to do four things: see St. James School across the Potomac in MD where he Dad had attended school in the 1930's and early 1940's, to drive through the Antietim battlefield on this the 150th anniversary of the most deadly battle in the Civil War, to see Harper's Ferry and to sample the unique town of Shepherdstown. The last thought in this agenda was where we would stay. But in hindsight the high point of the trip was not the excellent dinner and waitress (ask for Denise) we enjoyed at the Press Room, the visit to the small boarding school nestled in fallen yellow-and-red maple leaves, the drive through the somber battlefield north and east of Sharpsburg or the walk amidst the preserved authenticity of Harpers Ferry. It was our lovely room and the outstanding breakfast with two other sets of guests that made our trip really special. If you are visiting the Shepherdstown area, stay here. Jim and his lovely wife will make you feel like family, suggesting where to eat and what to do. We wandered the town before dinner on Saturday and after our hearty breakfast at the Inn the following morning, to find an excellent wine store with a very knowledgeable owner and staff, a cutting-edge running store and a bike shop with an employees who was a trove of information about cycling the C & O trail and its spur up to Pittsburgh. Susan was so inspired that we are now talking about making this cycling excursion, perhaps when the Opera House is featuring some plays. We also caught the Sunday farmer's auction which had a great variety of local food (even Mexican salsa). We left the Thomas Shepherd Inn on Sunday morning, determined to both return to the Inn and to Shepherdstown. You will not be disappointed by either.

This is one of those B&B's that make you want to stay extra nights or plan your return visit immediately. My husband and I stayed here for the location (which is excellent) but would come back for other reasons. Shepherdstown is a small, historic town located within easy driving distance of Washington, DC, Baltimore, and many Civil War battlefield sites, such as Antietam, Gettsburg, Harpers Ferry and Manassas/Bull Run. The town itself boasts easy access to hikes and bike riding along the C+O Canal and kayaking/rafting on the Shenandoah river. Our reason for going to Shepherdstown, though, was more local: the jam session at O'Hurley's General Store on Thursday nights, which has been providing amazing Celtic/mountain/heritage music for at least 30 years--highly recommended! The innkeepers were very detail-oriented, gave us a great tour of the home when we arrived, and made our dinner reservations (based on their excellent recommendation) in advance. Their afternoon snacks, evening sherry, and early-morning coffee and home-made spiced biscotti (served before a hearty and tasty breakfast) were outstanding. It's clear that they take pride in their property and enjoy their guests, and you can choose to be as sociable with them and other guests as you like. Very clean, great amenities, and reasonable - what else could you ask for?

We are regular B&Bers. To me there are a few that really stand-out location or decor-wise (usually $250+ per nite).

The rest are nicely decorated, clean, comfortable, safe and functioning. If you look hard enough you can generally find a couple of annoyances. That's about 90% of our experience. Still not one out of probably one hundred overnights can I categorize as disappointing (either all inn keepers are pretty good or we're of the mindset that it takes a lot to spoil a fun outing)

The Thomas Shepherd Inn falls into this category. It, like many others, should be a 4-Star experience, except for owners who with their friendliness and attention to detail earn that extra star.

Filtered water, sherry, tea and coffee, homemade chocolate chip cookies, spiced biscotti, etc. etc. Lots of maps, menus and local information at every corner.

It seems lately many B&B owners don't spend much time with their guests, Maybe the tough economy and/or difficult guests have something to do with this? Jeanie sat down and spent 45 minutes with my wife and another couple at the breakfast table (good breakfast too!). Jim was also very friendly and interested in us achieving a productive and happy visit.

My annoyance? Oh yeah. The TSI is on a very busy corner at the top of the 1/4 mile downtown area. It can be pretty noisy at times from about 8:30-5:00, but quiets down after (we're not usually in our room during that time frame anyway). But just in case Jeanie & Jim put a large fan in your room's closet to deal with the noise factor. Our night's sleep was quiet and excellent even though our windows faced the street..

Details...that's what I'm talking about!