Profile House, Palace hotel in Franconia Notch, United States
Profile House was a palace hotel situated on 65 acres in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, with views toward Mount Lafayette and the Kinsman Mountain Range. The property featured a working farm, power plant, and boating facilities connected by a narrow-gauge railroad that served the northern guests.
The hotel was constructed in 1852 and operated under multiple owners until its final season. A fire destroyed the main structure, leaving only the train depot building standing as a reminder of its former presence.
The hotel served as a self-contained community for its guests, featuring its own post office, telegraph office, and recreational facilities like bowling and billiards. These amenities show how the property functioned as a complete retreat where visitors could find everything they needed without leaving the grounds.
The railroad connection ceased operations in 1921, making the property more isolated and harder to reach today, so having your own transportation is helpful for visiting the remaining depot building. Keep in mind that only a small portion of the original complex survives as a reminder of what stood here.
The hotel took its name from the Old Man of the Mountain rock formation, which surveyors discovered nearby in 1805. This distinctive facial profile on the cliffsides became an enduring symbol of the region and shaped the property's identity.
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