Hook Tavern, historic tavern in West Virginia, United States
Hook Tavern is a wooden historic hotel located at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Smokey Hollow Road in Hampshire County. Built in stages from the 1760s through 1848, the structure has an L-shaped design with a two-level front porch and roughly ten rooms with uneven floor levels showing where additions were made over time.
Construction began in the early 1760s on land originally granted to Peter Mauzy, a county pioneer, and was later purchased by the Hook family in 1840 who operated it as a tavern. During the Civil War it sheltered about 80 sick soldiers, and in 1868 it received an official hotel license.
The name Hook came from the family who took over in 1840 and made it a gathering place for travelers passing through the region. The rustic wooden structure with large fireplaces reflected how people built practical shelters and meeting spaces using the materials they had.
The site sits at a road intersection in a quiet area with narrow streets and nearby small shops that make it easy to locate. The rustic construction with natural wood and large fireplaces provided early travelers with warmth and shelter during their journeys.
Workers discovered handwritten messages inside the walls in 1956, including names and notes from 1845 left by mule drivers and other travelers passing through. These rare writings offer glimpses into the everyday lives and brief stays of ordinary people who visited nearly two centuries ago.
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