The main building of the Inn, now the restaurant, was first constructed as a barn. Helmuth built the barn using materials obtained from some older canneries along Monterey’s Cannery Row. Later becoming the nucleus of the Inn, the barn was used to house goats and for Helmuth’s workshop. In 1938, Englishwoman Barbara Blake discovered the natural beauty that the Deetjens had realized. She decided to stay and lease the barn, expanding the building and opening the restaurant. Barbara Blake was originally responsible for the interior decoration of the restaurant and the purchasing of the old redwood slab that makes the bar. Examples of Helmuth’s handcrafted furniture and wrought iron can still be seen in the family room.