The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-22
MOUNTAIN
TOT: BURNED.
Historic Hotel Totally De.
stroyed Yesterday.
OWNED BY RICHMOND MAN
Tho Loss About $4,000 and Insurance
Considerably Less-Pace Where Il
Many Great Men Had
Gathered Fl

Hundreds OF people in this and other
States viii hear With regret Of the burn
Ing OF the hotel at Mountain TOP, near
Alton. Flames said 10 have originated
from a defective terra Gotta flue COM
plctoy destroyed the old and now por-
tons Of the hotel Sunday afternoon, Ell \
falling q loss estimated to be about
$4,000 on the owner, Mr.. Eugene e.
Mnssle. Of this city The insurance Il
stated to be $1,000. The old portion Of
the building wins one Of tho most his
toric In the state, and Its burning Is a
distinct loss to the entire Common
wealth. Mr.. Massie is not IN the city,
lie was In sAlbcmnre county Mt the time
OF the fro and has probably gone up 70
Mountain Top His brother Mr.. VIII
liam II. Massie did not know for how
much the building was insured. but
knew his brother carried some protec-s
ton on It..
Defective Flue.
Tie following special. under date Of
Monday, was received last night from
Charlottesville: 8 RI.
Mountain Top Hotel. tho property Of
Mr.. Eugene G. Masse. OF Richmond. and
one Of the best known resorts In this
section Of the State. was destroyed by
fire on yesterday afternoon at ocloch,
the loss being estimated at $4,000 and
the insurance given officially at $1,000.
The blaze caught from, q terra Gotta
pipe In tho rear OF the hotel and quickly
spread. Nearly all the furniture, III tho
house was saved by splendid efforts on
the part of residents OF the community.
but their efforts were fr,,ltless in saving
the building.
Mountain Top Is ono Of the most hiH-
torlc hostelries in Virginia. At this inn
Thomas Jefferson met with James MaIi-
son, James Monroe, Joseph j. Cabell and
Philip st. George In consultation rs to
whether or not the University OF Viz
glnia should be established at Char
lottesvlle or at staunton. on the present
site Of Washington and Lee University.
There also tho Virginia lawmakers
met, after Tarleton's raid on Monticello,
From Mountain Top wns started the first
engine that was pulled over the Blue
Ridge Mountains by means Of horses and
which ran between Wayncsboro and
Mochum's River"
Tho Mountain Top Hotel site is about
n mile and n half from Alton Station.
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
1t is, twenty-five miles west OF Char
.lottesvlle. Two buildings constituted
the main hotel. Tho older. a stone struc-
t,re. was erected in about ITO For.
many years 1t was the old Rocktlsh Inn.
Here plans for the University OF Vir-
ginia were discussed, and here hundreds
OF the men who made history In tho
early days OF the republic were guests
from time to time. The inn was direct
ly on tho great western turnpike. over
whicl, the tide of travel from Virginia
into Kentucky and the west flowed. and,
many were the characters. strong and
rugged, who stopped there over night.
Thousands Of people from almost every
State have been guests there in recent
wears. and they will feel keen regret
atts destruction. Doubtless Mr.. Massie
will rebuild. but this cannot DO learned
oH1cia11v 5l,sg5-s sUJ