Tip-Top House
Encyclopedia
The Tip-Top House is a historic former hotel within the Mount Washington State Park
in Sargent's Purchase
, New Hampshire
, United States
. It is the oldest surviving building on the summit of Mount Washington
, and believed to be the oldest extant mountain-top hostelry in the world. It currently features exhibits concerning the mountain's history. Located adjacent to the summit building, it is open (small fee) to visitors from early May to early October.
, although in the early 1860s it was replaced with a pitched roof. Beginning in 1877, the building functioned for seven years as a printing office for Among the Clouds, the mountain's newspaper.
When the newspaper moved to a different location, The Tip-Top House was abandoned and fell into disrepair. A three-story, 91-room hotel was built atop Mount Washington, together with a weather observatory
. All of these buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1908 except The Tip-Top House, which was renovated to again function as a hotel. When The Summit House was replaced, however, The Tip-Top House burned. It was rebuilt as an annex to The Summit House, then abandoned in 1968. Now a state historic site, The Tip-Top House was restored in 1987, including its flat roof. Today, the structure is surrounded by other buildings and parking lots.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
Mount Washington State Park
Mount Washington State Park is a parcel perched on the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Summer seasonal amenities include a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shops, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum...
in Sargent's Purchase
Sargent's Purchase, New Hampshire
Sargent's Purchase is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the purchase had a total population of 3....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the oldest surviving building on the summit of Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, and believed to be the oldest extant mountain-top hostelry in the world. It currently features exhibits concerning the mountain's history. Located adjacent to the summit building, it is open (small fee) to visitors from early May to early October.
History
It was erected on Mount Washington in 1853 to compete with The Summit House, a nearby hotel established in 1852. Built by Samuel F. Spaulding at a cost of $7000, The Tip-Top House was made of rock blasted from the mountain. On clear days a telescope was placed on its flat roof to create an observatoryObservatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
, although in the early 1860s it was replaced with a pitched roof. Beginning in 1877, the building functioned for seven years as a printing office for Among the Clouds, the mountain's newspaper.
When the newspaper moved to a different location, The Tip-Top House was abandoned and fell into disrepair. A three-story, 91-room hotel was built atop Mount Washington, together with a weather observatory
Mount Washington Observatory
The Mount Washington Observatory is a private, non-profit scientific and educational institution organized under the laws of the state of New Hampshire. The weather observation station is located on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire...
. All of these buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1908 except The Tip-Top House, which was renovated to again function as a hotel. When The Summit House was replaced, however, The Tip-Top House burned. It was rebuilt as an annex to The Summit House, then abandoned in 1968. Now a state historic site, The Tip-Top House was restored in 1987, including its flat roof. Today, the structure is surrounded by other buildings and parking lots.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.