Built in 1890 by Auburn University math professor Bolling Hall Crenshaw, the Crenshaw Guest House was originally a one-room bungalow for his family. It has since been transformed over the years to become alternative lodging for any Auburn visitors.
Crenshaw first built this home for residency for him and his family and soon after built a second story suite to house students.
The Crenshaw family shared their home with University students for many years.
The home has been passed down to several owners throughout the years, each owner making it their own.
In November 2013, the current owners, Stephen and Sarah Jenkins, purchased the home and have created a well-known bed and breakfast in the heart of Auburn.
The house stands tall and sticks out with its bright-blue color and Victorian style.
To the right of the home is a pebble-filled driveway that leads to the back toward the backyard and smaller cottages, each having their own name.
“We lived in the Dallas area,” Sarah Jenkins said. “When our oldest daughter came down here, we stayed here. When we left in August after we dropped her off, my husband was talking to the owner and said, ‘Hey, if you are ever thinking about selling, let us know,’ and the owner said, ‘Well I am letting you know.’”
The family prayed about it all the way back home, hoping to find an answer.
“We said, ‘Okay Lord, if that’s what you want, open doors and if not, close them,’ and He just opened door after door,” Sarah Jenkins said. “We sold our house, packed up, moved to Auburn and have been renovating and working on it ever since.”
The Crenshaw Guest House now consists of seven different rooms, all varying in size and style.
There are three rooms in the original house and four cottages in the back yard.
Each room or suite includes antiques with history as well as new renovations, creating a truly authentic atmosphere in its interior design.
“I always say that God provides, and He does because when we start redoing a room and we need things, things just show up,” Sarah Jenkins said. “He’s good about that.”
In the center of the home stands the kitchen where the Jenkins serve their guests breakfast every morning.
Breakfast is buffet style, changes each day and consists of food like scrambled eggs, cheese grits, bacon, pancakes, toast, jelly and jam, fruit and yogurt.
During the day, there are always complimentary cookies and coffee for the guests.
“The accommodation of the early time we needed to eat and the graciousness of the hosts was simply outstanding,” said Wendy Carla Griffin, a prior guest. “The fresh cookies and full refrigerator were a bonus too.”
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