Hotels of the Gilded Age

Points of Interest

The Gilded Age produced many apparent glamorous hotels and Chattanooga was no exception. Two competing hotels rose and fell on a similar trajectory over time. Each suffered financial viability issues. What made these unique was the additional effort and engineering feats put forth to get customers to them. Two incline railways were built to service them, as well as other attractions at the top of Lookout Mountain. A few decades earlier the same bluffs were host to the famous 'Battle above the Clouds' in the American Civil War.

This expansive hotel opened June 2, 1890, and a formal ball helped inaugurate it two weeks later. It stood directly above the ending spot for the Lookout Incline Railway, known as the No. 2. To get to the inn, visitors rode on Pullman cars up the broad gauge road to the top of Lookout Mountain... Despite its popularity, the inn often was in financial trouble. In 1899 Read House operator Sam Read agreed to manage the Lookout Inn. By 1903 the inn had been through some renovations, including the addition of a billiard hall and a casino. Guests could eat as early as 5 a.m. and as late as midnight in the dining hall, which measured over 115 feet in length and could serve more than 600 guests at once. Originally, the inn would open for the season in late May or early June, usually with an opening ball. Eventually, to make more money, the inn remained open all year.

SOURCE: Steven Cox (January 4th, 2009) The Chattanooga Times Free Press: LINK

"Lookout Inn was destroyed by fire, November 17, 1908. It burned for many days and the light was seen from almost incredible distance. It formed Chattanooga's largest and most conspicuous bonfire."

SOURCE: Zella Armstrong - The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee, Volume 2

Image Title: Lookout Inn, Lookout Mountain, from where seven states can be seen, Tenn.

SOURCE: New York Public Library - Digital Collections LINK