Innkeeper Cathryn Wiese says it’s not the economy — it’s exhaustion. After 26 years in the hospitality business, Capitol Hill’s Salisbury House near 16th Ave E and E Aloha will host its final guests this month.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to do next,” Wiese said. “We’re going to close the doors and live there for awhile.” Wiese tells CHS she and her husband bought the 1906 house back in the ’80s with the intention of opening a B&B. By the summer of 1985, she was in business and it’s been a buy schedule ever since.

Wiese’s retirement is, of course, bittersweet. She says she’ll miss her guests and being a part of some of the cycles of life. “They’ve come to stay with us when somebody graduates from college and the next thing they know they’re planning a wedding. And then they come visit us as grandparents.”

In the Salisbury House kitchen (Image: Salisbury House)

Below is a statement Wiese sent out about her decision to close her business. We’ll also help her say goodbye by sharing her recipe for rhubarb coffee cake:

Batter

 1 C butter, room temp.

1 C granulated sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C sour cream

1/2 C plain non-fat yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 C chopped fresh, or frozen rhubarb

 

Topping

1/2  C brown sugar

1/3 chopped walnuts

1 tsp. cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray, flour. Cream butter &  sugars, add eggs, sour cream, yogurt and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in  a medium bowl, add to wet ingredients, mix well. Add rhubarb.

Spread batter mixture into pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

Serves 8-10.

Here’s her note about closing Salisbury House.

It’s not the economy, business is good, but working 7days a week and every holiday is exhausting, so I’m hanging up my apron for good.

The goal was to retire at 25 years but when our former assistant, Shelley Goulding, decided to open her own lovely inn, 9 Cranes Inn,  we knew we had to hold out another year until she got things up and running. Now we have a great place to send all of our loyal returning guests. (Not that there aren’t a number of excellent B&B choices in Seattle.)

It’s been a good run, we threw open the doors of this 1906 Capitol Hill house to guests  in the summer of 1985 with three, then four, rooms sharing two baths and we charged a budget straining $30 a night. In 1992 we added private baths and in 1998 we did another large remodel and added a 5^th room-a luxurious suite with fireplace and whirlpool tub.

We estimate that we’ve hosted between 8,000 to 10,000 guests from all over the world, done about 24,000 loads of laundry and worn out a dozen coffee makers. What’s next? We aren’t sure, but I think we’ll buy some sheets and towels that aren’t white and I’m sending the pancake griddles to Goodwill.