The People Behind the Abbey

Warm hospitality, thoughtful details, and a love for this historic home and the Blue Ridge.

Restoring this beautiful home so we can share it with others has truly been a labor of love. Along the way, we’ve experienced countless miracles that confirmed we are exactly where we are meant to be, and we’re excited to now open our doors to the many incredible people who will make this home come alive with their stories.

Daniel De Souza

Daniel has lived on three continents and speaks a total of five languages. His family is the love of his life. Throughout his professional career, he has embraced a servant-leadership approach, achieving success with many companies across diverse industries. Daniel has high emotional intelligence and exceptional skills in business strategy, marketing, sales, negotiation, conflict resolution, and more. He has owned several businesses throughout his career—some successful, others valuable learning experiences. Daniel loves building companies and is a true entrepreneur at heart. Being part of the bed and breakfast is a blessing that allows him to meet wonderful people, and cooking breakfast couldn’t be more relaxing for him.

Louise De Souza

Louise De Souza is, first and foremost, the mother of three beautiful and talented adult daughters and two lifelong furry companions. She was born in Sweden and moved to America after marrying Daniel De Souza, whom she met at church. She holds a degree in industrial design and, when she’s not caring for her family, she helps others with interior design projects. She loves the outdoors, traveling, and experiencing new foods, countries, and cultures. She shared that designing the interior of the bed and breakfast was both exciting and deeply rewarding. Restoring such a beautiful structure has been a true blessing.

Gary Ludgate

Gary served as a Vet Tech in the Air Force for six years and later as a Chief Petty Officer and radar specialist in the Navy, from which he retired. After his military career, he returned to his passion—construction. He now works as a Senior Construction Inspector for NXL, a division of Kleinfelder Engineering. With more than 30 years of experience in the construction field, he works closely with contractors to ensure projects are completed to specification and properly documented for payment.

Outside of work, Gary can often be found spending time with his four small dogs or out in the garage restoring an old car and bringing it back to life.

Mason Ludgate

Bio coming soon

Brooklynn Ludgate