The Cave Mountain House
The Howard Hotel
The Bartlett Hotel
First Hotel on This Site: The Cave Mountain House
THE CAVE MOUNTAIN HOUSE: 1890 - 1905 was originally the summer home of one of the Jose brothers, owners of Bartlett Land and Lumber Company.
The Hotel was purchased by Edgar Stevens in 1892. His specialty was entertaining the guests both at the Inn and with excursions through the mountains. Mr Stevens was a fabulous story-teller and enjoyed personally escorting his guests on wild rides through the mountains.
The Inn's rooms were advertised as large and airy, with electric lights, hot and cold running water, and excellent views from most rooms.
There was also a large farm connected with the hotel that provided fresh eggs, meat and vegetables. All this could be had for prices ranging from $7 to $12 per week. (in perspective, an average family earned about $35./ month in 1895).
On May 1, 1905 the Cave Mountain House and barn were totally destroyed by fire caused by a defective chimney. The insured loss amounted to $10,875.
The site remained empty until 1912 when the Howard Hotel was built on the same site.
EDGAR AUGUSTUS STEVENS, proprietor of the Cave Mountain House at Bartlett, was born December 16, 1844, in Shelburne, N. H. .
Edgar A. Stevens obtained his education in the common schools of Shelburne, after which he assisted his father on the farm until after the breaking out of the Civil War.
Enlisting in 1863 in Company A, Eleventh Maine Volunteer Infantry, which was subsequently a part of the Twenty-fourth Army Corps, he participated in the battle of Ball's Bluff, the engagement at Hatcher's Run, where he was wounded in the foot, and at the siege of Richmond. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1866 as Orderly Sergeant.
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During the next three years Mr. Stevens was employed in a saw-mill at Berlin, N.H., and was later fireman for two years on the Grand Trunk Railroad. position on the Portland & Ogdensburg Rail Accepting in 1871 a similar road, he was employed as fireman until 1873, when he was promoted to the position of engineer, which he retained for twenty-one years.
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Coming to Bartlett in 1892, he purchased the Cave Mountain House, a small hotel containing but twelve rooms. This he has enlarged to a house of thirty-four rooms, with good accommodations for fifty guests, and has further improved it by putting in steam heat and electric lights.
A pleasant host, attentive and accommodating, he has won an excellent patronage, many people of note visiting the house each summer, among whom may be mentioned Edward Everett Hale and family, the Rev. Mr. White, of Brookline, Mass., the Rev. Mr. Fay, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and numerous others.
Mr. Stevens was a member of Ossola Lodge, I. O. O. F., in which he has held all the chairs; of Grant Post, No. 91, G. A. R., of Glen, which he has served as Commander; and of the Masonic order, in Fraternally, in which he has taken the thirty-second degree.
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In 1873, Mr. Stevens married Abbie T. Lewis, of Conway, and they had two children, namely: Bertha May, born November 12, 1879, who is a student in Wellesley College; and Blanche Louise, born May 1881, a graduate of Brewster Academy, who is now fitting herself for the profession of a music teacher.
The Howard Hotel
The Howard Hotel Circa 1912
The Cave Mountain House burned in 1905 and was rebuilt as The Howard Hotel. Owned by G.K. Howard and managed by William Irish it opened on July 1, 1912. It was a first class hotel in its prime. Every room on the second and third floor connected with a bathroom, hot and cold water, and a room telephone to the front desk. The dining room seated 75 people. It provided drivers. The Howard enjoyed a long successful life and by the 1930's the rates started at $5.00 per day and $25.00 per week. These rates put it on a par with most of the other first class hotels in the area. See the original 1912 sales brochure for the Howard Hotel Below
In December 1947 The hotel was purchased by Matt Elliot and Reland T. Hart and renamed the Bartlett Hotel. Matt operated the Hotel until his death in 1985. Considering Matt was there for 38 years there is scant information about him. In 1985 the Hotel was purchased by the Arthur and Chip Yannone of Brockton Massachusetts. They began a renovation of the hotel but in the winter of 1989 the Hotel was destroyed by fire caused while thawing frozen pipes.
Source credit: The Latchstring was Always Out Aileen M. Carroll - 1994
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Photo Below is G.K. Howard; Photo at right shows Mr. Howard and John O'Connell
Granville K. Howard, Prominent Bartlett Resident Dies
In the passing of Granville K. Howard on Nov. 17, 1949, at his home after a brief illness, Bartlett has lost one of its outstanding citizens. Born in Hartford, Vt., in 1864, he was graduated from Dartmouth in the class of 1886 and always kept up his interests in the activities of the college. In 1887 he married Nellie Bailey of Landgrove, Vt., and two years later he moved to Bartlett.
From that time until his retirement in 1946 he was active in business, conducting a general store. In 1912 he built the Howard Hotel, which is now known as Bartlett Hotel. Mr. Howard held many town offices, having served as selectman and as a member of the school board. He was instrumental in forming the Bartlett Water Precinct of which he was treasurer for 51 years.
Always interested in the welfare of the town, one of his last acts was to give a plot of land opposite the hotel for a public park. For many years he was active in Osceola Lodge, I. O. O. F., and was recently awarded his 50 year pin. His counsel and guidance will be missed by the many people who always found him a friend in time of need. Funeral services were held on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Bartlett Congregational Church.-
The Reporter,
Thursday, November 24, 1949 -pg 1
The Howard Sales Brochure Opening July 1, 1912
The Howard - Circa 1930's
The Bartlett Hotel
Bartlett Hotel Circa 1970
Bartlett Hotel Circa 1950
Aftermath - March 1989 - Fire started at the left side from thawing frozen pipes. Hebert's Seafood Restaurant had been in the building for only a year or two.
Sources:
Incidents in White Mountain history - by Rev. Benjamin G. Willey
https://www.ancestry.com › genealogy › records › levi-chubbuck_91882748
"The History of Carroll County", 1889, Georgia Drew Merrill
brooklyncentre.com › trees › getperson
Bartlett NH - In the Valley of the Saco - Aileen Carroll - 1990
Lucy Crawford's History of the White Mountains - circa 1860
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF The State of New Hampshire • BOSTON -
NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 15 COURT SQUARE 1902