Owl's Head Mountain House Hotel
In the late 19th century Lake Memphremagog was well known for its many summer resorts, from Georgeville’s “Camperdown” and “MacGowan House”, Newport’s “Memphremagog House” to the luxurious “Owl's Head Mountain House” charmingly situated on a point of land at the foot of towering Owl’s Head Mountain, on its south flank.
The grounds comprised over 500 acres of mountains, meadows, garden and woodlands.
While other hotels were reached by road or rail, the Mountain House vacationers could only approach by means of the paddlewheel-steamships, “Lady of the Lake” and “Mountain Maid” which operated between Magog and Newport, Vermont.
Hôtel Mountain House Hotel | 1890
The first buiding was built by Myles Knowlton of Knowlton's Landing in 1845, but burned down in 1855. It was rebuilt shortly afterwards and during the 1880’s reached the height of its popularity under the ownership of Charles Watkins of New York City.
The hotel’s catalog, published in 1889, went as far promoting the area as the Geneva of Canada!
With the addition of an annex and cottages the number of rooms increase to about 75, provindig accommodation for some 100-150 guests.
Clear, cold water from a mountain brook fed a stone dammed reservoir which supplid water by gravity to each of the floors.
The hotel had its own vegetable garden, cows for milk and cream and even a small vineyard.
The guests were pampered with a variety of ameneties including a billiard room, a casino, tennis, lawn bowling, croquet and row boats.
Excellent fishing was specially promoted as 30-40 pounders were regularly caught along with occasional 100 pounders lake trout, a size impossible in these days!
Dancing and theatricals also took place.
The hotel had a small steam launch, the Owl, used for excursions on the lake and to take patrons across to Magoon Point for evening opera shows or to Newport. A small pretty gazebo stood near the steps leading down to the wharf and painter artists had a pavillon of their own.
The hotel season ran from June to September with rates ranging from $9 to $15 per week.
Among the distinguished guests who stayed at the hotel were Lord Dufferin, Governor-General of Canada, Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and William Notman, celebrated Montreal photographer, who took several pictures of the hotel and in the area.
Also, British author Anthony Troloppe who, in his 1863 book, North America, wrote “...in spite of its position the hotel is well kept, and on the whole, we were more comfortable there than at any other inn in Lower Canada”.
Hiking up Owl's Head Mountain following a trail beginning close to the hotel, was another outdor activity and Trollope strongly recommended the two-hour climb, especially in the afternoon when the sun was setting. “I was never on a mountain which gave me a more perfect command of all the country around”.
The ladies also managed the climb despite their ground-hugging skirts and fancy shoes, but ropes were provided along the trails for assistance at the steeper places. John Dix gives a detailed account, opposite.
On June 24, 1857, the Freemasons from the Golden Rule Lodge of Stanstead inaugurated the first outdoor lodge in the world on the mountain top where they still hold initiation rites at the time of the summer solstice (around June 22).
On October 11, 1899, about nine in the morning fire destroyed this famous hotel cause by tar being heated on the kitchen stove for use on roof repairs. The Stanstead Journal reported that the fire was so intense that “…the hotel…with annex..burnt to the ground in about an hour...The boat house, dance hall, etc… are still left but they present a lonesome appearance”.
The hotel was never rebuilt, a fate shared by most of the others on the lake.
Today a private house occupies this beautiful site.
Production team
Text: Gerard Leduc and Peter Downman
Graphic design: Pierre Nadeau, Estrie-Art Infographie
Original edition: 2003
Web edition: Serge Normand, 2024
HISTOIRE POTTON HISTORY
Volume 5 | Numéro 1 | PRINTEMPS 2017
by Anthony Trollope 1862