Your innkeepers, Maryanna and Ralph Koehring, bring a life shaped by global experience and deep-rooted connection to community. Through Ralph’s work with the U.S. Foreign Service, their family lived across Africa, Europe, and South America, while Maryanna built a distinguished career as an educator of the English language. Along the way, they came to value places in their own travels that feel both personal and welcoming, and they desire to bring that to others at their Western North Carolina bed and breakfast.

Prospect Hill on Main is one of Waynesville’s most notable historic residences: the Charles and Annie Quinlan House, built between 1901 and 1902. Designed in a transitional Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style, the inn reflects the prosperity and growth that came to the region when the railroad brought visitors to the mountains at the turn of the twentieth century.

The land on which it stands carries an even deeper story. Long before the town of Waynesville was formally established in 1810, the area was known as “Mount Prospect,” a name tied to its sweeping views and early settlement history. The property itself was part of what became known as Prospect Hill, a name that endured through generations and ultimately gave rise to the inn’s identity today.

The Quinlan family, connected to prominent local roots through Annie Gudger, built the home as a private residence. By the early 20th century, it began hosting boarders and travelers, eventually operating as the “Inn on Prospect Hill” for decades. Over time, it has served many roles—family home, inn and restaurant, antique store, bed and breakfast, and office space—yet has always remained an iconic and beloved part of the Waynesville community. Today, Maryanna and Ralph are honored to carry that legacy forward.

Their vision is to preserve the home’s architectural integrity and historic character while creating a refined yet comfortable experience for modern guests. Inside, thoughtfully curated spaces blend classic Southern charm with subtle global influences, with nods to their travels woven throughout the décor to add character and invite conversation.

Looking ahead, Prospect Hill on Main is envisioned as more than a place to stay. It is a place to slow down: to begin the morning with coffee on the porch overlooking the mountains, to walk just steps into town for galleries, dining, and small-town discovery, and to return in the evening to conversation by the fire or a quiet moment under the stars—perhaps with a cocktail in hand.

In every sense, this house continues what it has always been: a welcoming place on Prospect Hill—where the past is honored, the present is savored, and the future is warmly anticipated.