The  Gilford Hotel Dies.

There had been some effort to save the Hotel Gilford  however at that time  there was no such thing as help from the state such as a grants or Tax Credits from the  State or Federal Historical Society.. Today there would have been a way however at that time there was no  such a plan.  There was no help in saving our past then as there is today.  Past history in this area only goes back to the 1850.   It  is only after you  have lost  things that you stop to think what they meant to you.  It was only because many building of the past have been lost that such program now exists.  These old building become precious in time and those  we can restore will be more valuable as time goes on.   

I was  around the site when the Gilford Hotel was coming down as we purchased lumber for our farm and other items and it was was very sad to see  it demolished. People did not mind telling me "You should be ashamed of yourself for tearing down such  a beautiful building."  It did little good to tell them I was only buying he lumber.

	Picture and caption from the June 13, 1972 Courier-Tribune. Click on picture to enlarge

While working at removing and loading lumber at the site many people came  to  purchase something from the Gilford Hotel as a keepsake.  One person  wanting one of the old bath-tubs from the third floor of the Gilford while I was present.  The foreman of the wrecking crew asked  $25.00 for the tub. The buyer said "I'll give you $10".  The Forman said "For $10, I'll drop it out the third  floor window and for $25 I'll have it carried down and put on your pickup."  I do not know what the decision was in regard to this tub. 

Restoring a old home in the east has become very profitable. My Daughter and her Husband have restored two homes in Virginia. My daughter also has traveled  to Germany with a friend to  help restore a family home which was over three hundred years old.  They have  more and better help in Germany for helping preserve their history, however,  they lost many of their building during the war.