Throughout rural America and North America, small towns and hamlets harbor a wonderful array of large homes, many of which are now small inns or bed & breakfast establishments. Still others are seeing their last days as private residences, and are waiting for the right owner to convert them into a hostelry. Homes built by wealthy people or professionals prior to World War I often contained living space for servants as well as extended family - especially senior members who would have had limited means to support themselves in their final years. Furniture and kitchen appliances - to the extent those existed - were large and sturdy, and meant to last for decades.

Rooms to accommodate these sorts of objects were necessarily large and ceilings high. Prior to World War I, couples who could afford the expense, often planned for large families, knowing that childhood illness could well threaten the lives of some or all of their children. The need for large families - and the houses to accommodate them - especially saw its expression in rural communities, where farms required enormous amounts of labor to keep running. Today, many of those homes are, or will be, turned into small inns or bed & breakfasts.

Additionally, in some rural communities small hotels and resorts flourished in the days before jet travel allowed vacationers to leave their region or country entirely. These, too, are still extant and often make wonderful businesses or second homes.

Some resources are:

American Bed & Breakfast Association: http://www.abba.com/

American Hotel & Lodging Association: http://www.ahla.com/

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: http://www.uschamber.com/default

U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/