The Writer’s Cottage

Ashland is a small, Victorian-era Southern train town 90 miles south of Washington, D.C. AMTRAK stops in the center of town. The Writer’s Cottage is within walking distance of the Henry Clay Inn, the popular Ashland Coffee and Tea, Iron Horse Restaurant, Trackside Grill, Cross Brothers Market, a public library, and The Caboose Market and Café.  Ashland was the model for Ryland Falls in Theroux’s novella, “Giovanni’s Light,” which she described, tongue-in-cheek, as a town that “reminds you of the happy childhood you didn’t have.”

The Writer’s Cottage is a cozy, Craftsman-style bungalow with a living room, large dining/seminar space, eat-in kitchen, separate writing room, bedroom and fenced garden. Centrally heated and air-conditioned, it is furnished with the things that most writers need: books, magazines, a CD player, wi-fi, a printer, and lots of places to sit and read and relax, including a comfortable sofa for taking naps.

To date, the Writer’s Cottage has hosted a fascinating variety of writers who have used their time to work upon novels, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, and  journals. Usually, they come with a very sharp focus as to what they hope to accomplish. Occasionally, the focus is developed after they arrive. In several instances, they have returned for a repeat engagement. There has been only one major improvement since the Cottage opened – a larger, Queen-sized bed. It is now very comfortable for a couple of any size.