Pam and Bruce Gould, owners of Cornerstone Inn.
The Growth of Cornerstone Inn
~ story and photos by Boris Ladwig
On a quiet afternoon in downtown Nashville, Pam Gould and her husband, Bruce, pointed toward a building that once leaked rainwater through the roof. A few steps away sits a former house that became guest lodging. Up the hill is a log cabin that was nearly lost to foreclosure before the couple gave it a second life.
The properties look polished now, woven seamlessly into Nashville’ s tourism district. But the fireplaces, porches and guest suites hide decades of construction projects, financial gambles, and long workdays. Over more than 30 years, the Goulds have transformed a single lodging operation into a collection of inns, cottages, and vacation rentals spread across eight buildings and 37 guest accommodations.
Long before online booking platforms and luxury vacation rentals became commonplace, Pam Gould saw an opportunity in Nashville’ s growing tourism market. What began in 1992 as a modest inn above retail space evolved into one of downtown’ s largest locally owned lodging operations. Along the way, the Goulds weathered high interest rates, lean years, major renovations, and shifting traveler expectations. Their story parallels the story of modern tourism in Brown County, where entrepreneurship, historic preservation, and a willingness to tackle ambitious projects have helped shape the visitor experience and the community.
Fort Wayne native Pam Gould arrived in Brown County after attending Indiana University, where she studied biology. By the early 1990s, she was looking for a new chapter in life and saw potential in a downtown Nashville property that had evolved from a century-old barn into a home and business.
Turning it into a lodging operation required learning an entirely new industry.
“ That was an entirely new arena for me,” Pam said.
50 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2026