Cave Mountain House
CAVE MOUNTAIN HOUSE: 1890 - 1905 (below) was originally the summer home of one of the Jose brothers, owners of Bartlett Land and Lumber Company.
The Hotel was managed by one Edgar Stevens, whose 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 $10875. The site remained empty until 1912 when the Howard Hotel was built on the same site.
The Cave Mountain House burned in 1905 and was rebuilt as The Howard Hotel. Owned by G.K. Howard it opened in 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. See the original 1912 sales brochure for the Howard Hotel HERE
The hotel was eventually purchased by Matt Elliot and Realand Hart and renamed the Bartlett Hotel. Matt operated the Hotel until his death in1985 at which time it was purchased by the Yannones of Brockton Massachusetts. 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
The Howard Hotel
The Bartlett House was built in 1856 by Franklin George, first as his residence and shortly thereafter, as the town became a stopover for travelers on their way through Crawford Notch, he operated as an Inn. (There was no railroad in 1856). During the next 15 years several additions were made and in 1872 it became known as The Bartlett House. (Not to be confused with The Upper Bartlett House which was about half a mile further west).
After the railroad was constructed through the Notch Franklin leased the Mt Crawford House for a period of five years beginning in 1872. It's location directly on the railroad line was ideal.
Franklin was an industrious man, laying out a bridle path to the summit of Mt Langdon, operating a building and loan association and owning vast tracts of land stretching from the Saco River to the Albany Town Line. He also established the Bartlett Water Company and found time to be a Bartlett Selectman for six terms. He served as a State Representative in 1878 and was the Town Tax Collector as late as 1890.
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The former Bartlett House is located in the center of the Village at the blinking light. It is now the residence of Bert and Gretta George. It operated as an Inn from 1856 to 1892.
Reference Material for this Tourism Section comes from:
The Latchstring was Always Out by Aileen M. Carroll 1994
The Bide-a-Wee is the second house on the left on River Street in the Village. It was operated by Charlotte and Frank Lobdell from 1920 to 1941. They catered to railroad workers and tourists alike.
The Maple Cottage Owned by George Chesley from about 1920 to 1939. He could accommodate both summer boarders and auto parties. After World War 2 it was purchased by the Stoatemaiers and is currently operated as The Lawrencian Ski Club.
The Woodbine Cottage was built in 1890 by Alba Charles Gray and Ida Story Gray. They had a lumber business and built this home in 1890 in Bartlett. They eventually sold the home and it was later operated by Mrs A.F. Bergeron in the 1930's. It was later occupied by Richard Jones and retains nearly all the character now as then. Upon Mr Jones death the property was willed to a group of his friends who utilize it as a vacation home. It is the second house east of the school. Just Across the street is the former Elms Inn operated by Mrya Smith and now the home of Cheryl and Richard Nealley. The building just to the east was a Sunoco Gas Station and repair shop operated by Ellwood Dinsmore from the mid 1940's to the early 1970's.
OBED HALL, Early Pioneer
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In 1790 Obed Hall's Tavern was probably located at the junction of today's Bear Notch Road and Route 302, today's park. Obed came to Bartlett from Madbury as an early Bartlett pioneer who became a prominent citizen, serving as Selectman, Town Treasurer, and was elected to Congress in 1810. In 1819 he ran for the Senate but did not win that election. Read the Hall Ancestry Here
Travel at this time was hazardous and Tavern-keepers considered themselves benefactors to the traveling public rather than businessmen. Mr Hall was one of two appointed as Surveyors of Highways and he was among those who petitioned the General Court in 1793 for a tax of one penney per acre to be used for the improvement of roads within the town.
Obed first married a woman 20 years his senior and second time a woman 20 years his Junior. After Obed's death his wife moved to Portland Maine and re-married to Richard O'Dell.
Obed's Tavern was operated at various times by William White and Benjamin Gould.
In addition to the Tavern Mr Hall also tended a large farm which was located partially on the property that is todays Sky Valley Motel. It was probably 100 acres or more. It was thought that he also operated a lodging establishment at the farm.
Mr Hall's brother Ebenezer also lived in Bartlett and was a school teacher in the local school. From 1811 to 1829 he was Judge of Probate for Coos County
(Joseph S. Hall was NOT related to Obed, but he was the builder of the first summit house on Mount Washington in 1852. Joseph Seavey Hall of Bartlett was one of the most important participants in mid-nineteenth century events in Crawford Notch (or the White Mountain Notch as it was known in those days) and on Mt. Washington. Yet most people have never heard of him. Read the Story at the White Mountain History web site, HERE.)
Obed 1st was the uncle of this Obed.
OBED HALL 2nd. 1795 -1873 Son of Hon. Ebenezer L. and Lydia (Dinsmore) Hall ; born, Conway, February 23, 1795 ; (Ebenezer was Obed 1st's brother) practiced, Bartlett and Tamworth ; died, Tamworth, May 21, 1873.
In the war of 1812 Mr. Hall was in the military service for a short time, in a company of militia at Portsmouth. His early education was imperfect, and he studied law three years with Enoch Lincoln of Fryeburg, Maine, and two years with Lyman B. Walker of Meredith. He first set up in practice at Bartlett, and about 1820 changed his residence to Tamworth.
He was representative in the legislature in 1840 and 1841, in which latter year he was appointed register of Probate for the new county of Carroll. That post he occupied ten years. In 1854 and 1856 he was a State Senator. He was a lawyer of respectable acquirements, but preferred to give his time and attention to politics, which did not conduce to his legal progress nor to his pecuniary profit.
He gave much attention to his farm, being partial to agriculture. He was public-spirited, and in private life benevolent and kindly. His first wife was Elizabeth Gilman of Tamworth, who bore him one daughter; his second was Caroline E., daughter of John Carroll of Maine. She left him a daughter, who outlived her father.
SOURCE: The bench and bar of New Hampshire: including biographical notices ... By Charles Henry Bell
The Thompson's Inn is recognizable today as the Chippanock, across the street from the Post Office. It began as a private residence but by 1918 was operated as an Inn/Restaurant by Gertrude Thompson whose husband worked as a fireman on the railroad. In 1945 it was purchased by Sanford Hill who renamed it the Chippanock (bright north star). He continued to operate it until his death in the early 1990'S. Compare the two pictures below, the left picture is about 1920. The right picture is about 1950. Business must have been good to allow for the significant expansion.
Silver Springs Cottage was actually a large farm operated by James and Emeline Nute...(not to be confused with Silver Springs Lodge further west on Rte 302) Folks would come to spend the summer on a rural farm. It burned years ago but it's cellar hole is still visible just east of Mountain Home Cabins. The property was eventually inherited by Carrie LeBar, Upper Bartlett's only black resident in the 1960's, who operated the Lone Maple which was located about a half mile closer to the Village Center. It also burned in the late 1960's and has been replaced by the home of the Gerry and Eileen McManus.
The current Mountain Home Cabins originated in the early 19th century, probably as a stage stop. It was originally part of the Stillings family land It became the property of James and Emeline Nute. They sold the business to Clifton and Lucille Garland. The cabins were built two per year starting in 1931.
In the 1920's, before the cabins, it operated as a campground. Cabins being a seasonal operation allowed Lucille to be a school teacher in Bartlett and Clifton tended milking cows. The property continues to be operated by Clifton's grand children who also operate Bear Notch Ski Touring Company from the site
Directly across the street from the Woodbine is the Willow Cottage Inn which was owned by Ralph and Elizabeth Mead. Ralph died of the influenza strain of 1918 but Elizabeth continued to operate the inn for some time after that. The house was owned for a time by Gary Roy. As of 2023 it is owned and occupied by Barbara Altier1 who has lived there since 2015.
This is a photo of Orin Cook in 1945 cutting hay in the field across the street from his Maple Dale Farm House. And, Orin and Martha Cook with two unidentified children. Maple Dale was originally part of a much larger tract owned by Obed Hall. The following year Orin sold a portion of the farm to Alan and Libby Eliason who constructed the Sky Valley Cottages.
Andrew and Anna Arendt operated The Maple Dale, which is now the Penguin Ski Club. Andrew died first in 1959 and Anna only stayed at Maple Dale for about three years after Andrews Death. She died some 10 years later in New York City. Burial is in the Catholic Cemetery in Bartlett. These pictures are about 1948, courtesy Alan Eliason..
The Garland Inn on Albany Avenue. built by Eben Garland about 1890. It also housed a drug store and jewelry store. It was sold to the Hodgkins family about 1920 for use as a private residence. It is still owned by the Hodgkins family. Click Pic for a large view
Judith Garland Miller of Lake Helen Florida provided this information about her father, Eben Garland: (1/23/13)
Editors Note: An 1890 map of Bartlett Village shows an E.O. Garland General Merchandise Store; however, this Eben was not of that branch of the family. This Eben resided in the Intervale area. Judith Garland Miller told us "He left Bartlett as a young man probably in his 20s. He married my mother in 1937 in Pennsylvania and he never mentioned anything about the 'Garland Inn'. That may be another branch of the garland family. His father was Grover Wildred Garland and his father was James Merle Garland."
Judy Garland Miller continues, "Now that the holidays and bustle of the season is past, thought I would get back to you and give you a little something: My father - Eben Garland - told me this soon before he passed away.
He said in 1918 or 1919 maybe the winter of 1919 -1920 there was a movie made about a logging camp on his grandfather's farm. The movie stared Harold or Howard Lockwood. My father is in the movie along with his grandfather.
They had an oxen driven wagon and my father was in the wagon. It was either in the Dundee or Intervale area. I cannot find out anything about this but maybe it would be something that would be in some archives or something about the area. This is all I know but maybe it could be something to look into. Thank you, Judith Garland Miller"
If you know more about this, or anything else about Eben, tell us.
1952: The west end of Main Street showing the train yard. The Chippanock Inn and Garland's Restaurant can be seen, lower center. The Peg Mill is at top center.