It's long past summer in the beach communities of Westerly, and the seasonal stores have reverted to their off-peak hours, if they haven't closed for the winter already.

But while the sand and sea may no longer lure sun worshippers to this seaside community, it's a perfect time of year for a visit to Langworthy Farm Bed & Breakfast.

Langworthy, located at 308 Shore Road, includes not only an historic bed and breakfast inn - housed in a sprawling Victorian farmhouse that virtually screams iconic New England - but also a small vineyard and tasting room.

Named after the family that originally built the home, Langworthy Farm once encompassed some 750 acres that stretched from the home-site down to the Atlantic Ocean, says Joe Sharry, who owns and operates Langworthy Farm with his wife, Gail.

"It was a huge property," he says.

Ironically, however, when the home was built the property wasn't being farmed. Instead, the three-story white farmhouse was constructed for use as a "tourist home," Joe Sharry says, for city dwellers "back when people would come for the whole summer" to beat the heat.

In fact, the numbers affixed to the guest rooms inside the home today are original, he says. It wasn't until the 1950s, Sharry adds, that the property reverted to use as a dairy farm.

The property fell into disuse for a time and in 2000, after they bought it from the Langworthy estate, the Sharrys undertook a full-scale renovation of the 22-room house.

Today, walking through the front door of the home feels like stepping back in time.

The two-story foyer features a grand wooden staircase and a large parlor off to one side. Along the opposite side of the entryway are two of the bed & breakfast inn's four guest rooms. The inn also has two guest suites.

Besides the original room numbers, historic touches, both original and reproduced, abound throughout the house, including oak floors, crystal wall sconces and period furniture.

Some of the upgrades include a modernized kitchen and construction of numerous new bathrooms. The original home had just 1.5 bathrooms, Sharry says, but there are now eight.

The dining room features a cluster of small tables for guests and on the walls are painted scenes of local haunts, including the famous carousel in the nearby village of Watch Hill, the newly rebuilt Ocean House, the swans that grace local ponds and, of course, the beach.

Some rooms have ocean views and breakfast is complimentary. Room rates range from $135 to $260 in season, and $120 to $240 off season (Oct. 10 to May 22). Children are not allowed.

And what would go any better with the home's wraparound porches but a glass of wine? The Sharrys expanded their bed and breakfast business a few years back when they opened a winery on the property.

The winery, which includes a tasting room that overlooks the vineyard, produces more than a dozen wines, including a Napatree Cabernet Sauvignon and a Westerly White, a blend of chardonnay and pino blanc grapes.

Langworthy Farm

Bed & Breakfast

308 Shore Road, Westerly

401.322.7791

www.langworthyfarm.com