Historic farm property gets a loving makeover as Woodhaven B&B and Event Venue
By George Berkheimer
The barn wedding venue where Bryn and Dan Keller celebrated their marriage impressed them so much they decided to enter the business themselves. What started on the drawing board as a modest barn renovation in Schellsburg quickly took on a life of its own, however, evolving into the Woodhaven B&B and Event Venue. The Kellers have added new amenities to the business model as opportunities presented themselves. “There wasn’t really a master plan,” Bryn Keller said. “A friend A told us to drive by when the property came on the market, and we realized it was the perfect spot to do what we wanted to. The vision grew from there.” Situated in an historic farmhouse built by the founder of Schellsburg in the late 1700s, the three guestroom bed and breakfast was actually an afterthought but was the first amenity to open, in 2018. “It’s a big house for just two people,” said Dan Keller. “We were hesitant at first, but then we discovered that we enjoyed having people here.” The nearby barn, built in the early 1800s, opened as an event venue in 2019. “People stay nearly every weekend for weddings from May through October,” Bryn Keller said. “We’re moderately busy during the week then and get travelers from all over the place. We’re a good hub between Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.”
Photogenic property
Woodhaven provides an idyllic setting for guests, nestled into a 15.5-acre pocket off Mill Road adjacent to Shawnee State Park and the photogenic Colvin Covered Bridge. “Every guest we talk to tells us they feel like they’ve found somewhere special, and of course we want to give them the best experience possible,” Bryn Keller said. “We get a fair number of return visitors. We’re only 15 minutes away from Bedford and not far from the Flight 93 Memorial, so we’re popular with people who are looking for a quieter place with access to a lot of things in the area.” The Kellers were Bedford High School high school sweethearts, and both attended college in Pittsburgh. “We never planned to come back, but it made the most sense out of college,” Bryn Keller said. “I worked at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and worked my way up to a wedding planner there, and Dan worked at the Village News and built up the craft beer side of the business.” The Kellers rediscovered Bedford and Bedford County when they returned. “The community is great, it’s close-knit and people draw together to support anyone who needs help,” Bryn Keller said. “Bedford County is such a little gem in terms of its beauty, and the shops and restaurants it has make it a special place. “We also developed wonderful relationships with wedding vendors in the area and close working relationships with a lot of area businesses,” she continued. “We’re lucky being next to Shawnee State Park and walk there frequently when we need a break. We see bald eagles nearly every day, and a lot of birders stay here to access the park.”
New brewpub
The Kellers are planning the grand opening of a new amenity, the Woodhaven Brewing company, by winter 2024. “I’ve always wanted to start a brewery,” Dan Keller said. “I have the problem of enjoying all the beers I try, so the offerings on tap will be varied. It will be located in the basement of the barn and we’re also going to doing wood-fired pizza.” Adding their own brewery made sense for the wedding venue, Bryn Keller said, and will give them more control over the alcohol side of the business. “We’re BYOB right now,” Dan Keller said. Just as the brewery gives her husband an outlet for his interest in beer, Bryn Keller said the B&B gives her insight into the outside world and provides meaningful connections with people from other parts of the country. “Community has always been important to us,” she said. “I’m a member of the Your Safe Haven board of directors, the area’s crisis center, and I’m on a steering committee of a brand new organization called Women Decision Makers that will offer collaborative peer support for women leaders. We’re literally just starting up and had our first meeting in September.” For the time being, setting up the brewery and hiring employees is more than enough responsibility to take on, but the Kellers are keeping an eye out for new ideas for the property that they can incorporate and put their own twist on. “Everything we’ve done has just fit into place so far,” Dan Keller said. “It’s really been an adventure.”