The popularity of summit houses soared in the northeast during the 19th century with the rise of leisure tourism. Inspired by artists like Winslow Homer and Asher B. Durand and writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne, scenic views and the appreciation of nature became more sought after. With the development of tramways and railroads, people gained access to more remote and mountainous areas and made reaching the top substantially easier.
Along the top of Mount Nonotuck’s 821-foot summit, you may find traces of the hotel that once stood. Located in Mount Tom State Reservation in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the Eyrie House was owned and operated by William Street, opening in 1861. The hotel, renowned for its restaurant and picnicking, expanded to 30 guest rooms with amenities including a pavilion, promenades, and a croquet field, seeing hundreds of patrons and visitors each week. Events like calm bakes and concerts were common.
Street, under pressure from competing hotels, started to build a new, larger hotel in 1893 with plans for an inclined railway to improve visitor access. It’s the foundation of the new hotel that can be seen today. In the spring of 1901, unable to dig on a rocky mountain top, decided to cremate a pair of horses that had died. Thinking the funeral pyre was out, Street retired for the night only to be woken by the roar and crackle of a fire. By the time he responded to the blaze, it had already consumed the pavilion and stable, spreading to the hotel.
Suffering $10,000 (equivalent to roughly $380,000 today) worth of damage, Street was underinsured and was only granted $2,000 for the loss. While he still owned the mountain property, he gave up on any further hotel business or construction efforts. In 1903, Mount Tom State Reservation was created, with the commissioners interested in including the abandoned property. Street wanted $25,000, but was offered merely $5,000, which was refused. Years later, the property was taken by eminent domain, with the $5,000 deposited into a bank account for Street. Apprently he lived out the rest of his life as a spiteful recluse until his death in 1918, having never touched the funds.
A beacon tower was constructed in 1944 and sits in the exact spot of the original hotel. Though it looks like it could be climbed with a viewing platform at the top, access to the tower is prohibited as the stairs are very tight and steep, and the old structure has not been maintained in quite some time.
The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and the New England Trail both share the path to access the Eyrie House Ruins. Alternatively, you can take Christopher Clark Road, which does not allow vehicle access, making for an easier walk. By taking the trail, you are afforded a couple of scenic points, Goat Peak and Dry Knoll. Combining the John McCool Trail makes 3.5 mile loop, if parked along the Upper Pavilion on Reservation Road by the Visitor Center.
If looking to visit an existing 19th-century summit house, the nearby Prospect House atop Mount Holyoke still stands and offers occasional tours. The dwelling was initially just a refreshment stand built in 1821, then rebuilt thirty years later as a proper hotel. The Prospect House, located on the other side of the Connecticut River, was the main competition to The Eyrie House before its demise.
