STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — It's not a full house at the 1913 Badin Inn, but considering we're in the middle of a pandemic, Jennifer Owens feels pretty good.

“We are very blessed to have had the business that we had,” says Owens, who owns the inn located in Stanly County.

Owens says the inn was built in 1913 by the French as a boarding house for some of the people who built the Narrows Dam.

The town of Badin was full of amenities at the time.

“We did have an opera house that was here. People like Mae West came to perform there and stayed here. That's why we have a Mae West room,” Owens says.

But the building's recent history hasn't been as grand.

“It was very difficult...just to see...the weeds take over and the columns that needed to be painted,” Owens says.

In 2019 Owen's mom, Vanessa Mullinix, approached Owens, who has a corporate background, about buying the inn.

“This wasn't the plan, but all the pieces fit into place,” Owens says.

COVID-19 threw them a big curveball, but the mom-and-daughter duo pushed forward.

The inn has short and extended stay accommodations, a small event space, and a restaurant that's temporarily closed. It also has a golf course that's been partially converted into a disc golf course.

The co-owners hope to start a new chapter for this inn on the hill so they can preserve its history and bring in guests enjoying the outdoor attractions in the area.

The disc golf course at the Badin Inn is open, and Owens says they hope to get the restaurant going this spring.