The Elmwood Inn Tea Room  (1990-2004)

The Elmwood Inn was built in 1842 as the home of  merchant John Burton. It served as a field hospital during the 1862 Battle of Perryville, Kentucky's largest Civil War battle. The Greek Revival home became Elmwood Academy in 1896 and served as a prestigious boarding school until 1924.

It was christened Elmwood Inn in 1973 and became a regional restaurant. Shelley and Bruce Richardson purchased and restored the mansion in 1990.  They began serving afternoon tea at a time when few Americans were drinking hot tea, and before the American tea renaissance began.  People from across the country made their way to the historic village of Perryville, Kentucky as word spread through magazine stories and the three Elmwood Inn tea cookbooks. 

In 2000, the National Historic Landmark became the first North American tea room included in the British Tea Council's Best Tea Places, a guide to a select 100 tea rooms throughout the world that surpass an exacting and incognito inspection by acknowledged tea tasters.� TeaTime magazine photographed their charter issue at Elmwood Inn in 2003.

After a successful 14 year run, the tea room closed to the public on July 31, 2004 as Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and its publishing division, Benjamin Press, continued to grow a national customer base. The wholesale operation is located in nearby Danville, Kentucky. The grand house is now home to the Richardson family.