Weirs Hotel

[danwas44]

Hi,

My mother-in-law honeymooned in the 40's at the Weirs Hotel. Can anyone tell me if it's still there, I drove by this weekend and it was not clear if it's still standing? Thanks for any help.

Dan

[Pineedles]

Sounds like a mission for McDude!

[mcdude]

danwas44:

When disaster struck in the form of a fire which leveled the 150-room New Hotel Weirs and the Music Hall on November 7, 1924,

Your mother-in-law must have honeymooned at one of the other fine establishments in the area.

MORE on the WEIRS HOTEL

[danwas44]

Thanks for the details, I'll need to do some more research.

[carguy]

Originally Posted by danwas44

Hi,

My mother-in-law honeymooned in the 40's at the Weirs Hotel. Can anyone tell me if it's still there, I drove by this weekend and it was not clear if it's still standing? Thanks for any help.

Dan

Dan:

There was a hotel located on Lakeside Ave. at the Weirs in the 1950's and 1960's, or possibly earlier, known as the Weirs Hotel or Hotel Weirs. The building is still there by another name. I believe the building was originally the Lakeview or Lookout in the attached photo. Yes, your folks just might have stayed in this hotel.

[Boardwalk Bluesboy]

Danwas44:

The Weirs Hotel was definitely NOT the New Hotel Weirs, which, as McDude indicated in his post, burned down in 1924. However, it was (with respects to Carguy) NOT the "Lakeview" or the "Lookout", either, both of which still exist. The "Lakeview" later became Romeo's Balcony, a picture of which is seen below. The "Lookout" still stands; it is now a private home, the second one in on the left on Lakeside Avenue after the Weirs Beach Waterslide when one enters Weirs Beach.

No, Dan, I'm sorry to say the Weirs Hotel no longer exists, as it burned down in 1991. It was originally Story's Hotel/Tavern. It was originally the fifth house on the left, located between Clyde House and Romeo's Balcony. There is now a parking lot where it used to be.

You can find more detail about it on the WeirsBeach.com history page.

Here's some links to a couple of other photos of the "Weirs Hotel" not on the WeirsBeach.com history page, courtesy of McDude: Link 1 shows two postcards; the postcard on the bottom shows the left side of the building around the 1930's. Link 2 shows the building around 1897.

When your mother-in-law honeymooned there in the 1940's it was surely a nicer place than when we bought it in the 1980's, when it was a dump. Certainly we had thoughts of renovating it to its former glory; but it was not to be.

[carguy]

Originally Posted by Boardwalk Bluesboy

Danwas44:

The Weirs Hotel was definitely NOT the New Hotel Weirs, which, as McDude indicated in his post, burned down in 1924. However, it was (with respects to Carguy) NOT the "Lakeview" or the "Lookout", either, both of which still exist. The "Lakeview" later became Romeo's Balcony, a picture of which is seen below. The "Lookout" still stands; it is now a private home, the second one in on the left on Lakeside Avenue after the Weirs Beach Waterslide when one enters Weirs Beach.

No, Dan, I'm sorry to say the Weirs Hotel no longer exists, as it burned down in 1991. It was originally Story's Hotel/Tavern. It was originally the fifth house on the left, located between Clyde House and Romeo's Balcony. There is now a parking lot where it used to be.

You can find more detail about it on the WeirsBeach.com history page.

Here's some links to a couple of other photos of the "Weirs Hotel" not on the WeirsBeach.com history page, courtesy of McDude: Link 1 shows two postcards; the postcard on the bottom shows the left side of the building around the 1930's. Link 2 shows the building around 1897.

When your mother-in-law honeymooned there in the 1940's it was surely a nicer place than when we bought it in the 1980's, when it was a dump. Certainly we had thoughts of renovating it to its former glory; but it was not to be.

Robert:

Yes, I was incorrect. The Story Hotel looks more like the Weirs Hotel that I remember from the 1950's. I didn't realize that it had burned to the ground in 1991. I didn't come up to the Weirs at all from about 1963 to 1993, a period of thirty years in which I missed a lot on the development of the Lakes Region.

The Weirs beach website was very interesting. I didn't realize that the sady beach grew that much from the 1950's to present.

[mcdude]

Welcome to the Forum Boardwalk Bluesboy.

[john gorman]

Robert was correct about the Weirs Hotel in many Respects. My dad owned it for a while and it was originally the Story Tavern. I will be putting further comments on here soon

[SteveA]

I found this post on e-bay today

http://cgi.ebay.com/1913-Pc-Storys-t...ayphotohosting

SteveA

[mcdude]

Steve: I've not seen that postcard before....thanks for posting. These two have been posted in the gallery....

[mcdude]

[WeirsGuard]

Car Guy,

One of the big reasons for the changing shape of the beach has to do with the removal, in the mid-1970's, of three iron, wood encased, breakwaters. These prevented the sand from being washed toward the channel and maintained the beach in three sections. Each section was marked by a lifeguard stand. With the removal of the break waters the beach has changed shape as the sand was piled up against the rock breakwater at the entrance to the channel. When I was guarding at the beach in the 70's the sand extended only to the base of the rock breakwater. Over time the sand has moved further out along the rocks. As this happened, the end of the beach nearest the docks was scoured away and the guard stands had to be re-positioned. The swimming area was much larger then with a good sized drop-off in the center section.

Boardwalk Blues Boy,

Are you the same Robert Ames I remember cruising the boardwalk with fashionably long hair back in the 70's? Welcome to the forum. Your family has been a bedrock of the Weirs for as long as I can remember.

[Boardwalk Bluesboy]

Hey WeirsGuard,

Your description of the beach is right on. For more info about the beach, along with some interesting historic photos and postcards of the beach, please visit the WeirsBeach.com page "Reason 2 - Beach".

Yes, I am the same Robert Ames you remember "cruising the boardwalk with fashionably long hair back in the 70's". Back then I even wore platform shoes!

[Weirs guy]

All together now - "Its a small world after all".

Although I'm much too young to have the horrible 70's memories (I was running around George and Georgette's Pier chewing on the leaded paint), it is nice to have an Ames representative here, definitely a long family history at the Weirs. I still see a "AMES" vanity plate around from time to time, but for some reason I thought your family had "moved on".

I also have to admit I am a little jealous I didn't come up with the Boardwalk Bluesboy screen name. Hows about opening a Blues Bar on the Boardwalk?

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

All together now - "Its a small world after all".

Although I'm much too young to have the horrible 70's memories (I was running around George and Georgette's Pier chewing on the leaded paint), it is nice to have an Ames representative here, definitely a long family history at the Weirs. I still see a "AMES" vanity plate around from time to time, but for some reason I thought your family had "moved on".

I also have to admit I am a little jealous I didn't come up with the Boardwalk Bluesboy screen name. Hows about opening a Blues Bar on the Boardwalk?

I just knew there had to be an explanation for some of your comments...

[Weirs guy]

Originally Posted by GWC...

I just knew there had to be an explanation for some of your comments...

Yeah, there sure, uhm, what was I talking about again?

[danwas44]

Hi,
Thanks for the information, I really do appreciate it. The reason I asked about the hotel is that I'm doing a family history and I always wanted a photo of the hotel. I had asked my mother-in-law if she had a photo and she said no. I just logged onto Ebay and found a great postcard with a perfect photo. This will be a nice surprise for her, and a great addition to my family history collection.

I just recently bought a home in Moultonboro at Far Echo and I'm glad to say that it will be great to know that there are people like yourselves living in the area.

Kind Regards,
Dan

[Boardwalk Bluesboy]

I recently picked up a 1947 edition of the Lakes Region Association's Where To guidbook and found this advertisement within. It is the only photo I have found of Story's Tavern that is actually labeled as the Weirs Hotel.

[anniecap]

Originally Posted by danwas44

Thanks for the details, I'll need to do some more research.

It could also have been the Lakeside Hotel and Motel at the head of the boardwalk which was owned by the Favreaus who also owned the restaurant across the street which has been in turn a saloon, bowling alley and bar. This hotel was owned by this family from the late 50's until the late 80's
Ann
http://www.weirsbeach.com/newmedia/lakesidehotel.jpg
Built in 1880 by George W. Weeks, for which Weeks Street is named, the Winnipesaukee Marketplace was originally a hotel, known as the Lakeside House. For more pictures of the hotel in its original glory, click here. It was owned by Mr. Weeks from 1880-1912. Edward T. Milton, who owned it from 1913-1925, erected the footbridge in 1917 "to afford easier access to the Lakeside for auto parties". In the late 1940's, the name was changed to the Lakeside Hotel (see picture below) by its new father-and-son owners, Albert and Donald Favreau. In 1986, it became the Winnipesaukee Marketplace.