The Doctor’s House Inn & Spa has gone into bankruptcy and the property is now abandoned. Artists are left looking for their artwork.
Engineer and entrepreneur Jerry Byrne bought the property in 2013 and turned it into the Doctor's House Inn and Spa, which became known as a scenic getaway and wedding venue. "I trusted him. I went and visited there and actually posted the art on the walls myself. So I had, like, a nice prize position right in the front foyer," Maloney said.
"They had my property so I thought, 'Well, I should go see him. There's a manager here and I'll talk to somebody.' But nothing. There was nobody there," recalled Maloney. One of the missing paintings has a very personal meaning to her. During an annual Mother's Day trip with her children she spotted a striking scene near Bradley's Cove. The ensuing painting — which featured a shed and icebergs in the distance — came naturally, she said.Penney Rowe met Byrne through her involvement with an event for another artist. She remembered he talked about the big plans he had for the inn he'd recently purchased.
The experience has left her feeling disappointed because the relationship was based on trust. She also wonders if she should have headed to the inn to retrieve her paintings when she first heard rumours the business was in trouble.