La Salle Bed and Breakfast offers not only wonderful suites and rooms; but a Commons Area large enough to host small parties or club meetings. There is also a nice Library full of books for a quiet area to relax.
BREAKFAST / DINING AREA
AFRICA SUITE
The Africa Suite is inspired by the innkeeper’s time spent living in Sub-Sahara Africa. This suite has a full kitchen complete with dishwasher and all major appliances, dining area, one bedroom, in-suite bathroom, and extra daybed in the living room. The ground floor locations and private entrance makes this suite perfect for romantic get-a-ways and extended stays. Sleeps up to five.
THE ANTHONY WAYNE SUITE
The Anthony Wayne Suite reflects the early history of Fort Wayne as an early American trade center and industrial city. This ground floor one-bedroom suite has a private entrance, full kitchen, dining area, living room, private bath, and a separate bedroom. The Anthony Wayne Suite offers all of the modern conveniences including cable television with DVD player, telephone with voicemail, and free high-speed Internet access.
THE HOLLYWOOD SUITE
The Hollywood Suite is inspired by the glamour of Clark’s home down, Hollywood, CA. This rooms is most frequently reserved as a bridal suite and for romantic get-a-ways. This suite has a full kitchen complete with dishwasher and all major appliances, dining area, one bedroom, in-suite bathroom, and extra daybed in the living room. The ground floor locations and private entrance makes this suite perfect for romantic get-a-ways and extended stays. Sleeps up to five.
THE PARIS OPERA SUITE
The Paris Opera Suite takes inspiration from Rose-Aimée’s classical training as a ballet teacher in Paris. This suite has a full kitchen complete with dishwasher and all major appliances, dining area, one bedroom, in-suite bathroom, and extra daybed in the living room. The ground floor locations and private entrance makes this suite perfect for romantic get-a-ways and extended stays. Sleeps up to four.
THE FORT WAYNE ROOM
The Fort Wayne Room is a comfortable American room. One queen size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed Internet, and private bath near room with exclusive access.
THE NOTTINGHAM ROOM
The Innkeepers lived in the English East Midlands in the mid-seventies. The Nottingham room is a third floor dormer room influenced by their time spent living in England. One queen size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed Internet, and private bath near room with exclusive access.
THE MEDITERRANEAN ROOM
The Mediterranean Room on the third floor is a large and light room with panoramic views of the veranda and downtown Fort Wayne. The cool Mediterranean colors shabby chic furnishing make this room calming and relaxing. One queen size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed Internet, and private bath near room with exclusive access.
THE PARIS ROOM
The Paris Room contains photos and memories of the Innkeepers favorite Paris neighborhood. One full size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed Internet, and private bath in-suite.
THE PROVENCE ROOM
The Provence Room recalls the summer home of Rose-Aimée’s father in Provence. One queen size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed Internet, and private bath near room with exclusive access.
THE RHINELAND ROOM
On the second floor is the Rhineland Room. Influenced by the city of Strasbourg in Eastern France where the innkeeper’s both lived and worked, and still own a home. This room has one queen size bed, cable TV, Telephone with voicemail, high-speed internet, and private bath near room with exclusive access.
Ballet at the La Salle
Join us in celebrating local arts with the Fort Wayne Ballet. The La Salle is a proud supporter and partner with the Fort Wayne Ballet. Let us make your evening at the ballet even more special for the whole family. The La Salle Ballet packages include 4 tickets (2 adults and 2 children*) the performance of your choice, the suite of your choice at the La Salle Bed & Breakfast, and home-baked breakfast for the whole family the following morning. To book your ballet package visit the Special and Packages page, or call us. Please note that the packages will only display on the days of performances.
*For a different ticket arrangement please call directly for reservations and prorated prices.
The Nutcracker
Celebrate the holiday season with The Nutcracker. Fort Wayne Ballet is pleased to present this classic tale performed to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. This childhood adventure is sure to transport everyone in your family to a different time and place as you spend the evening with our young heroine, Clara, and the cherished toy - her Nutcracker. Enjoy the lavish sets and costumes while embarking on the magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets where everyone from around the world celebrates the return of the Nutcracker Prince and Clara’s triumph over the Mouse King. In our increasingly busy lives, it is vital we celebrate traditions which build community and family. Our community has made Fort Wayne Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker one of these hallmarks year after year. Make our Nutcracker your Nutcracker.
Performance Dates
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Spring is the time of lovers and renewal, a perfect match as Fort Wayne Ballet offers Shakespeare’s enduring comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this lush tale of passion and heartache, the wedding between the Duke of Athens and Queen of Amazons is interrupted by four young people whose lives are entangled by both true and unrequited love. It will only take on night in a forest ripe with illusion and dreams for these young lovers to discern the “truth” of their love! Mendelssohn’s breathtaking score accompanies lilting choreography. Wander the forest with us as we serve the fairy queen, where one’s love and fate are altered at the whim of a mischievous faun and the touch of an enchanted flower.
Performance Dates
2:30pm, March 28, 2009
8:00pm, March 28, 2009
2:30pm, March 29, 2009
Our spring performance is a collaboration with Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Fort Wayne Philharmonic will provide music for all performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Thank You For Your Reservation.
We look forward to serving you.
Facilities and Amenities
Considerations in Deciding Between a Hotel and Bed & Breakfast.
Bed & breakfasts are the fastest growing segment of the hospitality industry, but bed and breakfasts aren’t for everyone. When choosing to stay at a Bed and Breakfast it is important to understand that each and every inn is unique. With historic Inns, such as the La Salle, there are often historic preservation and logistic restrictions when renovating the property. The majority of B&B’s are converted former single-family homes and estates, and therefore are quite different from newly constructed hotels. Bed & breakfasts take inspiration from the original intent of the building and the era during which it was created. This respect to the history of the architecture can be seen in the furnishings, décor, and over feel of each B&B. In an age of corporate expansion and buyouts it is nice to know that when you stay at a Bed & Breakfast you are supporting the local economy and small business owners. If this is your first time staying at a bed & breakfast please take the time to read our Q&A section to learn what you can expect from your experience.
Is a Bed and Breakfast Right for You?
Bathroom Arrangement
The bathroom situation is a delicate one for some travelers, Americans in particular. Every Inn is different, some rooms will have private baths, some rooms may share a bathroom. This is not for everyone, which is why it is important that you check the bathroom situation prior to reserving a room at any bed and breakfast or inn. At the La Salle every room has access to it’s own private bathroom. Every Suite has an in-suite private bath, while other rooms have either an in-room bath or access to their own private bath under lock and key near the room. Bathrobes are provided in every room for your comfort and modesty.
Breakfast
As with everything else, every bed & breakfast is different when it comes to what type of breakfasts they serve. Some may serve a light continental breakfast, while most will serve a more homemade full hot breakfast. At the La Salle you can expect a homemade breakfast each morning. French delicacies such as home made croissants, quiche, parfaits and other delectable dishes are included each morning with your room. Unlike most hotels, breakfast is part of the experience, and part of the price. A key part of the bed & breakfast experience is taking the time to enjoy the unique breakfast in the morning. This is also a great time to meet other guests and your hosts. Most bed and breakfasts will also be more than happy to serve your breakfast in the privacy of your suite, the La Salle offers this extra service for a nominal fee of ten dollars. Innkeepers try to accommodate requests; however keep in mind that there may be a set time or window for hot breakfast, chosen to accommodate as many guests as possible. The La Salle Bed & Breakfast, like many, will be happy to offer a continental breakfast outside posted breakfast hours, if requested the night before. It is also important that you notify the innkeepers of any food allergies or special dietary needs when you make your reservation.
Services
The first class service is one of the number ones reasons that B&B goers choose bed & breakfasts over hotels. Innkeepers open their homes to guests because they love to play host to guests and they take pride in what they do. While Bed & Breakfasts by definition do not have a large staff or someone at a traditional front desk 24/7, your hosts will always be more than happy to help in anyway that they can with making your visit to the area more pleasant. Innkeepers are well informed about local attractions, happenings in the community, restaurant recommendations, the local arts scene and more. Picking your innkeeper’s brain for ideas will make your stay much more exciting than if you stuck to your hotel room and relied on travel directories. Bed and breakfast goers are the type of traveler that enjoy staying in the community, not in a hotel or motel on the outskirts for a drive by of the area. Don’t be afraid to ask the innkeepers for help.
Facilities
Unlike a hotel chain where you know pretty much every Holiday Inn and Marriott will be pretty similar, each and every bed & breakfast is completely unique. Bed & breakfasts were not originally built for their current purpose. While bed and breakfast owners do their best to update and include modern amenities and luxuries, it is important to keep in mind limitations due to historical preservation restrictions and to what the building will lend itself to. Guest rooms and suites at the La SalleBed & Breakfast are thematically differentiated with authentic décor, such as the Hollywood Suite, the Africa Suite, or the Provence Room.
The La Salle Bed & Breakfast is unique in that it was built at the turn of the 20thcentury to serve flexibly either as a Duplex, as a fourplex, or as a single home, and therefore has a much larger floor plan than many Victorian-era homes. One dividing wall has been opened up. Withfour suites and seven guest rooms, the inn is able to groups up to 32 people. Over the years the building has seen many incarnations, including a time spent as apartments, which are now the four large suites with full kitchens. The La Salle has several expansive common areas that open up into one another, making it a great place to host small to mid-size events such as rehearsal dinners, parties, baby and bridal showers, corporate functions, and the like. There is also a library with a large table that guests visiting the genealogy library find enormously helpful in spreading out their findings after a long day a research.
The La Salle Bed & Breakfast has a large outdoor entertaining space perfect for relaxing, reading a book, gathering with friends and even hosting a summer event for up to 50 guests. The outdoor sound system provides the perfect background music to set the mood as well. The large deck offers a hot tub for guests to enjoy and unwind from their travels.
First Floor
The ground floor is all suites. The four suites all have private entrances and offer the amenities of a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment including full bathroom and a complete kitchen with dishwasher. These rooms can sleep up to five guests and are perfect for families and extended stays.
Second Floor
The second floor has 4 guest rooms. One of these rooms has an in-room bath and three rooms have access to their own private bathrooms near the room. Bathrobes are provided for guest’s convenience and modesty. On this floor, you will also find the main dining room, a meeting room, and a living room/reception hall. Continental and full breakfast is served each morning on the second floor.
Third Floor
There are four sleeping rooms on the third floor. Two rooms on this floor formerly served as the servants’ quarters, while the other half served for many years as a dance studio. One of two new rooms belongs to the private quarters of the innkeepers, while three rooms on the floor are available to guests. The two original rooms on third floor offer the most privacy and natural light of any rooms in the inn.
Location
The LaSalleBed & Breakfast is located in the west end of downtown Fort Wayne, which is currently undergoing revitalization, with an extension of Allen County Public Library that recently brought the library’s genealogy department within a block of the B&B, and the recently expanded Grand Wayne Convention Center. The LaSalle is included in the downtown Fort Wayne Hospitality District, adjacent to the downtown Starbucks. A nearby baseball stadium and retail are under construction. For direction to the La Salle see the Directions & Parking tab to the right.
Parking
Parking in available behind the bed & breakfast, which is accessible from the alley through a passage way between the brick garages. Additional parking that can accommodate larger SUV’s and other vehicles is available in the parking lot across the alley.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us: 877-422-0851
Amenities
In-Room
* Cable TV with HBO * DVD/CD Players
* Telephone w/ Voicemail * Daily Housekeeping
* High-Speed Internet Access * Private Bathroom
* Bathrobes * Heating & A/C
On-Site
* Library * Meeting Rooms
* Guest Kitchen * Secured Building
* Business Services * Airport Pick-up
* Free Parking * Event Space
* Hot Tub * Concierge Service
* Catered Lunches & Dinners * Full & Continental Breakfast
The La Salle Gallery exhibits both local artists and paintings from Paris estate sales and consignment shops. For a list of featured for sale paintings with detailed information click contact the La Salle.
La Salle Bed and Breakfast
517 West Washington Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Tel: (260)422-0851 or (260)410-4206
Toll Free: (877)422-0851
Fax: (260)969-1867
La Salle Bed & Breakfast is located downtown Fort Wayne on the left hand side of the West Washington Blvd, a one way street westward bound. If you are arriving from Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) airport pick-up and drop-off may be arranged for a nominal fee. Contact us to make arrangements.
Parking:
Parking in available behind the bed & breakfast, which is accessible from the alley through a passage way between the brick garages. Additional parking that can accommodate larger SUV’s and other vehicles is available in the parking lot across the alley.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us: 877-422-0851
Genealogy Center
Allen County Genealogy Library
Film & Theatre
Fort Wayne Area Theatre Listings
Indy, Foreign and Art House Films
Museums & Galleries
National Automotive and Truck Museum
African American Historical Museum
Visitor Resources
Grand Wayne Convention Center
Fort Wayne Convention and Visitors Bureau
Family Fun
Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory
Hospitals
Universities
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Shopping
Glenbrook Square Mall
Jefferson Pointe Mall
The La Salle Bed & Breakfast
The La Salle Bed & Breakfast
in historic downtown Fort Wayne
The La Salle has been discriminating travelers’ number one choice for clean, comfortable and affordable lodging since 2004. Built in 1901, the La Salle Bed & Breakfast has been meticulously restored and cared for to preserve the Victorian-era architecture while adding all of the modern conveniences of today’s fast paced world. For business, pleasure or genealogy research the La Salle Bed & Breakfast is the perfect place to retreat to each evening.
For Rates and Reservation please call (877) 422-0851 or contact us by e-mail at lasallebb@hotmail.com
For more information on custom packages, genealogy research specials, and extended stays please contact us.
ABOUT
The Innkeepers
Rose-Aimée and Clark Butler have lived in the house that is the La Salle Bed and Breakfast since 1990. They originally purchased it for use as a dance studio in the years before Rose-Aimée became Youth Director of the Fort Wayne Ballet. They opened the La Salle Bed and Breakfast in the beginning of 2004 as a way to share the history as well as pay for some of the restoration of the home. Rose-Aimée is a native of Lille, France, and grew up largely in West Africa. Clark is a native of Hollywood, California, and he earned his PhD. from the University of Southern California. He also studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and at the University of Tunis in North Africa. He is a Purdue University Philosophy Professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). In addition to being a professor Clark is also active in research and is an accomplished author. He has published six books, including Human Rights Ethics (Purdue University Press, 2008) and one book-length translation of German philosophy (Hegel, Lectures on Logic, Indiana University Press, 2008). Since their marriage in 1971 Clark and Rose-Aimée have lived in Nottingham England, Bochum Germany, and Strasbourg France with their daughter, Elizabeth. They have a second residence in Strasbourg, where Clark has been taking students to study human rights law for the past three years. Clark and Rose-Aimée love hosting guests and taking the opportunity to talk with people from around the nation and the world. It is a way of “taking the temperature” of the world around.
History of the La Salle Bed & Breakfast
The La Salle B&B was created by Clark and Rose-Aimée Butler in their turn of the century Victorian home, originally built by Tom Snook in 1901. The Tom Snook house is next door to one of the oldest remaining historical houses in Fort Wayne, the 1842 house of Civil War hero Sion Bass.
The story of Tom Snook is one of American upward mobility. Historic records show that he was listed as a carpenter in the City Directory in the 1890’s (he later listed himself as a home-builder). The La Salle Bed & Breakfast was built by Mr. Snook for himself and his family in 1901, with thirty-two rooms, forty rooms including the basement out of which he worked. The third floor was originally intended for servants and the stairs from the third floor originally bypassed the more private quarters on the second floor to go directly to the first floor and basement.
A Fort Wayne Department of Planning staff report notes that the structure was built c. 1900 in the Queen Anne/Free Classical Style, with some Colonial Revival features. This cross-gable house has a very complex shape, with a variety of bays, windows, and dormers. Because the house was built as a duplex, it has two small porches that face West Washington Blvd. The property is located in the West Central Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The first-floor exterior is natural wood; however, as commonly happened before architectural preservation efforts started, the second and third floor has been covered in vinyl siding. Though there has been enormous restoration and preservation done to the building, restoring the exterior wood siding his a project yet to be undertaken.
Tom Snook built the La Salle as a rambling duplex, but with the overall symmetry interrupted by small differences between the two sides of the firewall down the middle. In part, the differences may be explained by the fact that he designed the details of the house as he went along, and in part by him using materials (for example inlaid floor designs) left over from other jobs. He also had a tendency to favor slightly more select materials and greater dimensions on his side of the house. He kept the other half empty until his daughter began living there after World War I.
In 1930, Mr. Snook cut the house in sections and moved it around the block to make way for a new commercial building. He lived in the house until he died in 1934. As commonly happened to many of the grand old homes in the West Central Historic District, the home was then subdivided into smaller apartments until Clark and Rose-Aimée Butler rescued the building in 1990. Mrs. Butler operated a dance school on the third floor until she took a full-time position as Youth Director of the Fort Wayne Ballet in 1996. The Butlers have been working on restoring the home to its former Victorian glory while adding modern amenities for nearly 20 year now. The La Salle Bed & Breakfast is a constantly evolving work in progress.
Who is La Salle?
La Salle - René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) - was the first European to set foot in what is today Fort Wayne. He came from Canada to organize the Miami Indians against the British to the east, and in doing so suddenly brought what would be Fort Wayne into world history and international power politics. The year was 1669. In his memoirs, the explorer calls the site he visited “the mouth of the river of the Miami Indians” - referring to the river which is now known as Maumee. Though well known in much of the Great Lakes, he is not well known in Fort Wayne, which largely became a German city due to nineteenth century immigration.
René Robert Cavelier courtesy of www.collectionscanada.ca
Read more about La Salle on Wikipedia