By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – After sitting empty for a few years, local residents Holly Ferguson and husband Tim have remodeled the Parsons Motel, and on Friday, they officially opened for business. Ferguson said the former restaurant will offer a cozy place to come and have some coffee and a pastry.
“We will also be doing hot cocoa, tea and coffee and we hope this will be a gathering place for folks,” Ferguson said. “We will be selling primitives and vintage things. I am crafty and I love to paint. There will always be new items coming in.”
Ferguson said the motel had set empty for a number of years. “And that is bad for our town,” she said. “Someone said one day, we need to get tourists down here and I told them there was no place for them to stay. So they go up on the mountain.”
She said she is interested in helping Parsons grow. “I want to have more things open.”
Ferguson, who also owns Parsons Pizza, said it would be more cost effective to bring her restaurant to the motel, but said she is choosing not to do that.
“If I move my pizza business here, we would have another empty business in downtown Parsons and I don’t want to do that,” Ferguson said. “I want to keep things full.”
So, the former restaurant at the Parsons Motel will now serve beverages and pastries, and will be a gift shop offering primitives, gifts, flower arrangements and vintage gifts. The coffee shop will be somewhere good for motel guests to come to in the morning and offer locals a place for pastry, gifts and warm beverages.
“We want our motel guests to come and come again,” Ferguson said. “We bought new mattresses and furniture. My husband and I made a good team to renovate and decorate the rooms.”
Ferguson said she grew up in Parsons and moved away for a while, but came back.
“I absolutely love Parsons,” Ferguson said. “This is where we gathered as kids. It was Carl’s Motel. My dad came here to have coffee. The waitresses knew everybody and it was a landmark. Every time my husband and I drove by for the last two years, I said we could do something and it will be for the better of everybody. We have been working hard and want it to be a nice place for people to come.”
The Parsons Motel and Gift Shop has 18 rooms and they are currently renting 11 of the rooms.
“There are some rooms we want to do full remodels on,” she said.
The Parsons Motel and Gift Shop is located at 233 Cheat Valley Highway. The Gift Shop will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 304-621-1947. They also have a Facebook page and a website at www.parsonswvmotel.com.
“We are fully booked up for Pickin’ in Parsons for 2017,” Ferguson said. “We also have a big conference room upstairs we are renting by the day. Call us for information or to book the room.”
Ferguson said Parsons Pizza will deliver to those staying in the Parsons Motel.
“We do hand tossed pizzas, subs and wings,” Ferguson said. “We also have televisions so people can watch sports. Parsons Pizza is open each day from 4 to 9 p.m. We have a room for people who want to do their occasions with us there.”
Parsons Pizza is located at 412 Second St. and they offer delivery. Additional information is available by calling 304-478-3663.
