Blowing Rock in Watauga County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Watauga Hotel and Memorial Park

— Blowing Rock History Walk —

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 24, 2023

1. Watauga Hotel and Memorial Park Marker

Inscription. The first hotel in Blowing Rock was located on the site of today's Memorial Park. The Watauga Hotel was constructed in 1884. The two-story structure had a splendid reputation and soon became the social hub of the village. Almost always at capacity, its success prompted the construction in 1888 of six, small, two-bedroom cottages adjacent to the hotel. One of these cottages still stands in Memorial Park and is the home of the Blowing Rock Historical Society's 1888 Museum.

Destiny was unkind to the Watauga Hotel. Parts of the roof blew off in 1886 and again in 1902. The hotel burned in 1906 but was quickly rebuilt by new owner, Thomas Coffey. The hotel was upgraded using electricity to light the hotel and grounds. Fate being sometimes wicked, the hotel burned to the ground once again in 1926, never to be rebuilt.

The property remained vacant until 1939, when it was purchased by the Town of Blowing Rock. At the end of World War II, the Town dedicated Memorial Park as a living memorial to all who served in the armed forces. Today, as in 1884, the site is the heart of Blowing Rock.

Caption: Watauga Hotel

Erected by Blowing Rock Historical Society • Blowing Rock Village Foundation • Town of Blowing Rock.

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.

Location. 36° 7.954′ N, 81° 40.792′ W. Marker is in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, in Watauga County. Marker is on Laurel Lane, 0.1 miles east of Wonderland Trail, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Blowing Rock NC 28605, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpike (a few steps from this marker); Glen Burney Falls (within shouting distance of this marker); From Mountain Village to Resort (within shouting distance of this marker); Mayview Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Visitors and Settlers (within shouting distance of this marker); Uncle Joe Clark and Becoming a Town (within shouting distance of this marker); Mayview Lake (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Wet or Dry Town (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blowing Rock.

Also see . . . Backstory: Watauga Hotel and Memorial Park (PDF). For years Blowing Rock had been host to cottagers, summer residents who resided in various boarding

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 24, 2023

2. Watauga Hotel and Memorial Park Marker

houses and summer homes, but the Watauga Hotel would usher in a new era for the town. (Blowing Rock Historical Society) (Submitted on July 24, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Watauga Hotel image. Click for full size.

from A Village Tapestry by Barry Buxton, Appalachian State University(2017) (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

3. Watauga Hotel

Built in 1888, it stood on Main Street where Memorial Park is now located. An early 1900s fire destroyed the main building, but it was quickly rebuilt on the same foundation and renamed the Watauga Inn. A second fire, in 1926, also destroyed the main building but it was never rebuilt. The site remained unused until 1939, when the town acquired it for a park.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 71 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on July 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.