Our History

“The Chesapeake Inn property can trace its history to Urbanna’s colonial roots. In 1747, the land where the inn sits was owned by Captain John Robinson, a leading citizen who served as a delegate to the House of Burgesses and later as treasurer of Virginia. In 1771, he sold the land to Hugh and Katherine Walker for the royal sum of 5 pounds sterling. Mr. Walker was a merchant captain who also owned a tannery which provided the Revolutionary Army with shoes and other essentials. The Walkers sold the land to yet another well-known local leader, William Foushee, in 1780. Mr Foushee served as the first mayor of the City of Richmond. ”

“The buildings on the property, with their high ceilings, cinderblock construction and dramatic chimney, come from a more recent era in Urbanna history. The Inn is built out of a midcentury Coca-Cola bottling plant and garage built in 1947 and owned by Walter Sams and the Richmond Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Inc. In 1953, the plant was busy enough that it reportedly led Virginia in the greatest increase in sales. The plant was a centerpiece of the town; its windows were decorated at Christmas and locals still remember watching the Coke trucks drive in and out of the driveway.

When Gari and Matt took up the old asphalt driveway, they learned not only were there three layers of asphalt — there was a two foot deep concrete pad underneath to accomodate those large trucks!

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“In 1963, the bottling operations were consolidated with other local bottling plants and moved to Bowie, Maryland. The Inn’s buildings sat empty until the early 1970s.

In the early 1970s, the Royal Vacationer welcomed guests to its elegant guest rooms and restaurant complete with chandeliers and white-gloved waiters. It spent some years as the Vacationer Inn before a stint as the Urbanna Inn.

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“In 1963, the bottling operations were consolidated with other local bottling plants and moved to Bowie, Maryland. The Chesapeake Inn’s first life as a hotel was in the early 1970s, when the Royal Vacationer welcomed guests to its elegant guest rooms and restaurant complete with chandeliers and white-gloved waiters. It spent some years as the Vacationer Inn before a stint as the Urbanna Inn.

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“The building was renovated by a group of local businessmen and women and reopened as the Chesapeake Commons and the Chesapeake Inn in 2009.
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“Gari and Matt bought the Chesapeake Inn in July 2020, and have renovated and remodeled it to bring the property up to current standards – but with lots of respect for the storied history of both the property and the town. Gari has used local art, souvenirs and artifacts from around Urbanna to decorate the Inn. During the renovations, the construction team found ceiling fixtures that hung in the Coca-Cola garage way above the bedroom ceilings; those lights now hang in the Walter Sams conference room.”