“The Hotel Botetourt” Special (Online) Exhibit

The Gloucester Museum of History

Presents

"THE HOTEL BOTETOURT"

1906 - 1965

Special Exhibit

May 24 -

July 8, 2000

Memorabilia Courtesy

Of

Cary L. Franklin

Gloucester, Virginia

(Great-niece of Misses Emily & Ada Cox)

(The following article is reproduced by special permission) Appeared in Daily Press Oct. 3, 1950

BOTSTOURT HOTEL BELIEVED NEARLY 250 YEARS OLD: WAS ONCE A TAVERN

By Robert L. Marble

Gloucester, Sept. 30 - Little is actually known of the early history of the Botetourt Hotel here, but it is the general belief of most of the old timers that a portion of the building dates back nearly 250 years ago.

Although "Botetourt Towne", now Gloucester, was not laid out until 1769, historians who have frequently written of Colonial Gloucester say that in all probability a portion of Botetourt Hotel was standing long before the town and it was used as a roadside tavern.

From Vol. II of records of Colonial Gloucester County, by Polly Cary Mason is found the record of an insurance policy for the year 1802-1805-1815.

At the time of those policies, the owner was Phillip Tabb who resided at "Toddsbury'. The policies listed the building as a brick tavern on his farm at the Court House; building two story high, 77 by 22 covered with wood portico front, "Bar room at one end"; single story brick stable 361 by 201; occupied in 1802 by Willian Rogers in 1815 by Robert Ransone. Adjoining property owners in 1802 were Francis Thornton and John Pryor in 1815. Francis Thornton adjoined on the north, Arthur Davis on East, Thomas Stubblefield's Estate on South and Willian Rogers and the free school on the west.

Appraisers 1802, Francis Thornton, Giles Cooke; 1805 John Hughes, Sinon Stubblefield, Sam Stubbs; 1815 Richard Jones, Willian Cooke." The appraisers at that time estimated the cost of the building at $5,000 and the stable at $400.

That section of the building referred to in the insurance policies is the same section now standing nearest the Gloucester Equipment Company which was formally Vaughn's store. That portion of the two-story brick structure houses the hotel lounge, lobby and living quarters for the present armers on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor. In the basement of the building can be seen the hand herm timbers used in the construction of the building. All of the sills seemed to have been carved with an ax and the nails are of type identified as those hand made in colonial days.

DUTCH OVEN

An old Dutch oven still stands in the basement where the bread, served at the hotel, was once baked, but it is in use no more. The thickness of the walls of the old portion of the building is evidence of the earliness of its construction as structures in Colonial days were of much thicker walls than today.

An old covered well which for many years served the water needs of the hotel still stands in the gardens in the back but it, too, is no longer in use and it is gradually being filled. The old meat house where fine Virginia hams and other meat was cured and stored for use at the hotel still stands also in the gardens at the back of the hotel.

Like Botetourt Tore and Botetourt Lodge, the Botetourt Hotel is said to have been named for Lord Botetourt, Norborne Berkeley, Baron of Botetourt, who was sent from England to be Governor of Virginia. Said to have been among Virginia's best loved Governor's in that time, he reportedly had many friends in the Gloucester area whom he visited often. He came from Gloucester, England.

Miss Emily S. Cox who owns the hotel with her sister, Miss Ada H, Cos still actively operates the establishment after having first taken it over in 1906. The two sisters live at the hotel with their three nieces Mrs. Edith Hatch, Miss Cary Augusta Lawson and Miss. Hilda L. Lawson. Miss Emma, as she is called by all who know her, remembers well the first time she took over the hotel in early part of 1900.

"I was really a green hand at the hotel business", she relates. “Why I remember that we ran out of food on the first day we served". she added with a smile.

MRS. CARY CHINED

The building was owed then by Mrs. Charlie Cary, mother of attorney Charles B. Cary who had bought it at public auction.

It was in 1915 that the two sisters purchased the hotel and then began renovations which brought many changes to the place.

Another section was added to the building and more rooms added. Actually, the building had never been built to accommodate overnight guests, apparently, as indicated by the small number of rooms prior to the additions.

"Mss. Emma recalls that a date was carved into the chimney of the old building, indicating the date of the construction in the early part of 1700 but that has since been covered and the exact date is not known.

She remembers too that she was told that bricks from Abingdon and hare Churches and the old hotel were brought from England near the same time.

Bricks from the old stable at the hotel were moved years ago to be placed around the graves of the grandparents of George Washington at warner Hall here in Gloucester County. When the new addition was built to the hotel the First National Bank was housed in the basement where the dining room now is and later the late

Richard Bridges established his first barber shop in the same section, other offices were also located there from time to time.

Miss Imma recalls too that on Court Day in Gloucester the hotel was always busy. The Jude, the attorneys and almost everybody seemed to come to the hotel and eat and talk with each other. The horses were watered and fed in the stables at the back and kept until their owners were ready to leave.

In World War I, when the fleet was in at Gloucester Point, the navy boys used to come to the Botetourt to dance almost every Friday night. They used to bring the ship's band along and there was always plenty of excitement then.

All is quiet now at the Botetourt as compared to those days, but tourist and traveling businessmen still stop over for the night. One Baltimore traveling salesman who has stopped over at the Botetourt since the Coxs first took over, still comes by on his regular visits to this county. Many other salesmen still make regular stops to enjoy the quietness and charm of the Botetourt.

There are no more dances or big banquets and a card game or just a chat about old days takes their place.