Balsams, The - Dixville NH - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Balsams is located on Rt 26 in Dixville, New Hampshire. The property has a variety of buildings including the hotel and industrial spread out on 52 acres. It is set against a steep, rugged cliffs the form Dixville Notch. The hotel was built between 1874 and 1915. Most of the construction was complete by 1918 and is mainly the white (vinyl siding) 2 to 3 1/2 white building with gabled or gambrel roofs, with gable or shed roof dormers. It sports a red asphalt roofing shingles. The one addition that is substantially different design scheme is the Hampshire House, which is a distinctive 5 story stucco-clad wing that projects from the east end. It was the last major addition.

The main hotel evolved from a post-Civil War farmhouse/inn into a sprawling complex with numerous wings and additions. The most distinctive addition was the Hampshire House addition with a Flemish fling in style and departs drastically from the main white hotel. The Hampshire House was the first steel-frame, reinforced tile and concrete masonry structure erected in New Hampshire. Charse R Whitcher, a native of Lisbon, NH, was the architect.

The Balsams was one of the grand resort hotels built in the White Mountains. While it has been upgraded with new windows and vinyl siding, it still represents the historic original look. The Dix House was established by George Parson as a 25 room summer inn. It was bought by Henry S Hale, a Philadelphia industrialist who enlarged the complex and renamed it the Balsams. The 18-hole Panorama Golf Course was designed by Donald F Ross, a fame golf pro and designer. In 1922 Hale sold the Balsams to JJ Lannin, owner of the Boston Red Sox. He held the property for 5 years. Lannin traded the Balsams in a hotel trade to Frand Doudera, a successful interior designer. He held the property until 1941. After 1941, the property went into a major decline until 1954, when Neil Tillotson purchased the Balsams.

Tillotson relocated his parts of his latex rubber manufacturing to the grounds of the Balsams, giving it a mix of recreational and industrial land use. Tillotson bought the property knowing if the hotel failed he could convert the entire complex to an industrial concern.

Since 1960 the residents of Dixville Notch gather at midnight in the Balsam's ballot room to mark their ballots for the US Presidential elections and other election matters. These are the first votes to be cast in the US.

In 2011 the Balsams was sold to 2 local Colebrook businessmen and is undergoing extensive and much needed modernization. The purchase price was 2.3 million dollars. It's reopening is scheduled for 2013. Almost all of the interior furniture and fixtures were sold in May 2012

Street address: NH 26 Dixville , NH County / Borough / Parish: Coos Year listed: 2002 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1950-1974, 1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899, 1850-1874 Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Recreation And Culture Current function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Industry/Processing/Extraction, Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/31/2019 cbenson33 visited it 10/17/2018 Castor007 visited it 10/16/2018 CONPER visited it 04/20/2015 Mychell visited it 09/03/2012 Queens Blessing visited it 07/19/2006 Cosmos Mariner visited it

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