Crawford House

This cut is taken from the 1852 Leavitt map and shows a 

slightly different building.  Note the addition of 

dormer  windows which do not appear in the cut above

                                                                                          Crawford House History                                                                  

Although three members of the Crawford family operated inns in Crawford Notch, they did not operate the Crawford House.  Tom Crawford, operator of the Notch House, just to the west of Elephant's Head, started to build a hotel then known as the Crawford House, in 1850.  He apparently over extended himself financially and was forced to sell the property before it was completed.  The Notch House was included in that sale.

Ebenezer Eastman, of Littleton, bought the property, completed the hotel and expanded it just two years later.  It was operated by Joseph Gibbs for three years and it burned in 1859.  The hotel was immediately rebuilt and opened for the 1859 season.  In 1870, the hotel was sold to Asa Barron.  Barron's company operated the hotel until 1908.  His company also operated the Fabyan House, the Twin Mountain House, the Mt. Pleasant House and the Summitt House on Mt. Washington.

The completion of the Portland and Ogdensburgh Railroad in 1875 greatly increased business.  The Barron family were excellent businessmen and invested annually in upgrading facilities and improving the experience for their guests.

The hotel closed in 1975.  The contents were sold at a four day auction in 1976 and the real estate was sold in 1978.

On Nov.20, 1977 the hotel burned, bringing an end to a grand tradition.

Today, on the site of the Crawford House, is the Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Center.  It's headquarters for the many outdoor activities in the area. 

There was a Carriage Road to the top of Mt. Willard.  Today it's a NH Division of Parks trail and still provides a spectacular view of Crawford Notch. The Devil's Den is a cave several feet below the summit of Mt. Willard. 

Frank Shapleigh, one of the major White Mountain Artists, had a studio adjacent to the hotel.  It still stands. 

                                                                 Double clicking these images will allow you to enlarge them.

 Late Post card of The hotel                                                                                As it looked, derelict, before the fire.

 Crawford House Fire 

Dick Hamilton was an eyewitness to the fire and took many photographs.   Read his account of the fire.    Coming soon

Dick has allowed us to  scan his collection of the photos he took the day of the fire.  Most have never been published.   They are presented without captions. They speak for themselves. See below.  It was the end of an era.

Between the time of the auction in 1976 and the fire in November of 1977, the hotel was unoccupied and left to deteriorate.  It was vandalized and used by squatters for shelter.  Windows were gone, floors ripped up, grass uncut. Dick also visited the hotel in July of 1977.   Below are a few of his photos.