Golden Eagle Restaurant - Clarksburg MA
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 42° 42.564 W 073° 03.765
18T E 658646 N 4730364
The original restaurant was built in 1914 and the current one was built in 1958
Waymark Code: WMPX4Z
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 11/02/2015
Views: 4
Ever since the Mohawk Trail was opened from Charlemont to North Adams on October 22,1914, there has been a building on the Hairpin Turn to accommodate travelers, with souvenirs, food and drink, who stopped to take in the scenic view of the Hoosac Valley and surrounding Berkshire hills. The elevation of the Hairpin Turn is 1700 feet above sea level. The Golden Eagle restaurant is nestled into the rocky cliffs behind it. The building, originally a gift shop owned by Donald and Lewis Canedy, sat on the tip of the U within the turn. In the fall of 1958, within a span of 10 weeks, two runaway tractor-trailers missed the turn and crashed through the gift shop. The Canedy’s rebuilt and had a recess carved into the cliff, and the building has been safe since.
In 1980, John and Lynn Morris purchased The Golden Eagle Gift Shop & Restaurant from the Canedy family, who owned the Hairpin Turn when the road was opened in 1914. Since then there have been several structures on this site. This building has been standing since 1958.
The Morris Family took two years to renovate the building into a full service restaurant and opened to the public in August 1982. Since then the restaurant has gone through many changes. The restaurant was located upstairs and there was a gift shop on the first floor. The restaurant business flourished that by 1992, the gift shop was reduced to half the downstairs and a lounge with casual dining was added. By 1997 additional dining was in demand and the downstairs was converted into a full lounge.
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