Late 1880's Deer Park Hotel Newspaper Ad...

Above is a newspaper ad for the Deer Park Hotel when it was newly "built in the most modern style" boasting "all the improvements, steam, heat, open fireplaces, gas, electric bells and the most approved drainage."

Deer Park Postcard...

It never ceases to amaze me how many different Deer Park postcards were produced in the hotel's 65 years of existence...here's another that I found today...I love the detail on this one...

Did you know???...

Here is a lovely view of Franconia Notch from the rear of the Deer Park Hotel. If you look closely, you can see hotel guests out for a stroll on the hotel grounds. My guess is that this is somewhere in the vicinity of where Deer Park Drive & the ramp to I-93 southbound is now.

Did you know that there was a drive-in theatre on the Deer Park grounds after the hotel burned in the 50's? It was located approximately where the lake now is. I hear area youth would often hide in the woods attempting to see the movies for free...only to get chased away from the drive-in owner...

After the drive-in closed, the area was blasted for stone - creating the Deer Park lake and another located behind it that is now private property.

My thanks to a historian at the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society for providing me with this info...

Sixty years ago...

Sixty years ago this week (June 23, 1952) - the Deer Park was destroyed by fire, right before it was to open for it's 65th summer season.

At that time, it was owned and operated by the Grimm and Derocher families of Newton, Mass. It is my understanding that owners Norman Grimm and Larry Durocher were best friends who had roomed together at Harvard University and also brother's in law as Mr. Grimm had married Mr. Durocher's sister.

Many of New Hampshire's grand hotels were lost to fire during this time due to their wood frame construction and lack of sprinkler protection.

Other hotels fell into decline because of costs involved in upkeep and were vacated and later demolished.

Deer Park Hotel Parlour...

Above is a postcard image of one of the elegant parlours in the Deer Park. Back in the day, guests didn't spend much time in their rooms, they would socialize with other hotel guests in rooms like this.

Deer Park Hotel 1920's...

Here is an old photo of a large group of people on the veranda of the Deer Park. Probably safe to assume sometime in the 1920's or so...just by looking at the old car on the right and the style of clothing that everyone is wearing...

Some of the women look as if they are dressed for a nice hike through the woods or climb up a mountain...

Franconia View...

Another view of Franconia Notch that shows the Deer Park Hotel. Possibly a souvenir photo that a tourist purchased and saved years ago in the days when most people didn't have cameras of their own.