This Historic Park Is One Of New Hampshire's Best Kept Secrets
By Michelle|Published November 07, 2018
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
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You live in (or love to visit!) New Hampshire, so of course you’ve heard of Mount Washington. Many of you have probably driven the auto road, if not actually traversed one of the many trails lining the steep slopes of this famed New England mountain. While you’ve certainly loved the gorgeous photos (and drone footage!) coming from the area, how many of us have actually taken the time to truly explore the top? Those who visit often know that this small, historic house exists at the top of the historic park but those of you who have only seen gorgeous nature photos might not now this small museum even exists.
The trip to the top of Mount Washington is one that acts as a right of passage for many New Hampshirites.
But, how many of us get to the top and gaze at the views before heading back down without truly exploring the area? Especially when the temps are freezing and the wind is howling!
Originally a hotel built in 1853, the Tip Top house is considered to be the oldest surviving example of hostelry on a mountain summit anywhere in the world.
Inside is a warm welcome from the cold if you're visiting the summit on a cold day. You can imagine how welcoming it would have been to travelers who had hiked to the top in the elements.
Food and drink was available here, but you needed to be lucky to find room. Being the only place to stay at the top you can imagine that getting a spot was fortunate!
After a few years of operating as a hotel, in 1877 it was turned into the printing office for the mountain's newspaper, Among the Clouds. When the newspaper relocated, the Tip Top House was abandoned.
After this point, a much larger three-story hotel was built here. It had 91-rooms and was built along with a weather observatory. But, the Great Fire of 1908 ripped through the summit destroying all of the buildings...with the exception of the stone Tip Top House.
It was then renovated to become a hotel once again. After another fire, it was abandoned again in 1968 and restored in 1987.
While only a short stop in your exploration of the Mount Washington summit, you'll likely find the small structure full of visitors. But, how many of them talk about it once they've returned to the bottom?
With the impressive views, historic cog railway and museum, there's a lot to recall when talking about your visit to the summit. The next time you're there, be sure to stop into the Tip Top House to relive an important part of the mountain's history. And then, tell folks about it and encourage them to experience more of the history of this wonderful place.
If you want to explore the top of Mount Washington this winter, but aren’t the intrepid explorer you wish you were, you’ll want to check out this fun tour.
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