A. W. Cissel
There are two
buildings in town
whose style, size and
composition reflect
their original usage
as late 19th century
railroad hotels. One
of these structures,
though past its prime,
could easily be
renovated and adapted
to a new use; the
other has been allowed
to decay to the point
that its demolition is
imminent, possibly by
the time you read
this.
The Western Maryland
Hotel
The former Western
Maryland Hotel, later
called Spotswood
House, stands at the
intersection of
Emmitsburg Turnpike
(now Church Street)
and Altamont Avenue,
across from the Plaza
Shopping Center. Built
by John Lohr in the
summer of 1871, it was
purposely sited there
to take advantage of
the proximity to the
first railroad depot,
then located up the
hill between the
tracks and the U.B.
Church (Wellers). Mr.
Lore spared no expense
in constructing this
three-story brick
building with wide
porches across the
front under a
fashionable
Italianate-style
bracketed cornice. The
building had 16 rooms
and "every modern
convenience."
Mr. Lohr's investment
turned sour when the
railroad decided to
move the passenger
depot to the Carroll
Street location,
leaving the hotel in
an inconvenient and
isolated locale. In
the spring of 1877 the
Hotel building was
offered for sale. The
newspaper commented
that nearly $4,000 had
been spent on its
construction, but no
adequate bids were
received at the public
auction, so John sold
the building to his
brother Simon Lohr for
$2,100. It was renamed
Spotswood House and
limped along for a few
more years with
several local
merchants maintaining
storerooms there.
Dentists and lawyers
who spent one or
twodays in town also
made it their
headquarters. It later
became a Lohr family
residence and was
finally converted to
apartments.
Miller House Hotel
Behind the crumbling,
derelict facade of #17
West Main Street, is a
time capsule of
Thurmont's history.
The original building
on this lot is the
two-story, four room
stone structure with a
unique beehive chimney
which stands behind
the more modern
structure. Built
around 1810, it is one
of the earliest
buildings in town, and
was probably also the
site of the town's
first Post Office. A
later frame and stone
addition was attached
to it. When
wagon-maker William
Sefton purchased the
1'/2 acre site in
1828, he paid $700.
The Seftons lived
there for 50 years,
meanwhile building a
new, large log and
frame dwelling of nine
rooms. After his
death, the property
was sold to Mary E.
and John F.D. Miller.
The Millers expanded
the Sefton residence,
adding a third floor
and porches across the
front. As "The Miller
House" it opened to
paying guests in 1886.
It had its own livery
stable which picked up
guests at the railroad
depot and also offered
excursions in a coach
and four to
Gettysburg, Penn Mar,
and other summer
destinations.
Mr. Miller was not
only host of the
Hotel, but off
unofficial social
director for the local
residents. He
organized sleighing
and ice skating
parties, but
especially loved
dances when as many as
32 couples met to
dance and partake of a
midnight supper. His
son joined him after
the turn of the
century when the name
was changed to the
Hotel Thurmont, but
locally it was still
called by its old
name.
In the 1920's, Mark
Weddle owned The
Miller House which he
bought at a
foreclosure sale.
How-ever, the
Depression years meant
less recreational
travel and Thurmont's
success as a summer
resort declined. The
hotel building was
converted into
apartments. In 1940,
Mrs. Isabelle Lidie
purchased the
apartment building for
$3,000. It was then
operated by two
generations of the
Lidie family.
The fate of this once
distinguished building
is a prime example of
the legal term known
as "demolition by
neglect." This
structure, which
occupies such a
prominent place on our
town's main street,
has been allowed to
crumble before our
eyes over the last
twenty years. But,
when it is bulldozed
to the ground we will
lose more than just
the hotel building, we
will lose part of
Thurmont's
architectural heritage
in the earlier
buildings behind it.
The 187 years of
history on this lot
will be gone -
forever. How much more
of Mechanicstown we
will throw away,
before we care to
protest, is up to you.
Have
your own memories of the old Railroad Hotels
in
the Thurmont Area?
If so, Please send them to us so we can
included them in our archives.
E-mail us at:
history@mythurmont.net