Lake Toxaway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Toxaway |
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 Lake Toxaway
Location in North Carolina
Lake Toxaway
Location in the United States
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| Location | Transylvania County, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°08′04″N 82°56′27″W / 35.1345063°N 82.9407895°W |
| Type | artificial lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 640 acres (260 ha) |
| Max. depth | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Surface elevation | 2,956 ft (901 m) |
Lake Toxaway is the biggest private lake in North Carolina. It's a man-made lake, meaning people built it. The lake covers about 640 acres (2.6 km2) and is up to 60 feet (18 m) deep. Its shoreline stretches for 14 miles (23 km).
Many mountain streams feed into the lake. The main water source is the Toxaway River. Water flows out of the lake over Toxaway Falls. The main road nearby is U.S. Highway 64. It's a winding mountain road with many turns. Lake Toxaway has two main historical periods. The first began in 1890 and ended in 1916. That's when the lake's dam broke. The second era started in 1960. This was when the Lake Toxaway Company bought the land and rebuilt the lake.
Contents
History of Lake Toxaway
Building the First Lake and Inn
In 1890, a man named E.H. Jennings came to Transylvania County, North Carolina. He started several businesses, including the Toxaway Company. Jennings visited the area in the 1890s. He saw that it had great potential for tourism. Lake Toxaway was first filled with water in 1902.
The area became known as the "Switzerland of America." Jennings built several amazing resorts there. These included the Fairfield Inn and the Toxaway Inn. These resorts could only be built because Southern Railway created a train system. This railroad was the steepest in the United States. The train arrived around the same time the lake was finished. The Toxaway Inn opened in 1903.
The lake and the Inn were huge achievements. Lake Toxaway was the first man-made lake in the Appalachian Mountains. Its earthen dam was 500 feet (150 m) long. It was also 60 feet (18 m) high and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide at the top.
The Grand Toxaway Inn
The Toxaway Inn was a very fancy hotel. It could host 500 guests. They paid $17.50 or more per week. The Inn was five stories tall, rising above the lake. Over 40 types of wood from the area were used inside.
The Inn had many modern features for its time. These included central heat and electricity. It also had private indoor plumbing and long-distance telephones. There were even elevators! French chefs cooked delicious meals. Guests ate in a dining room with crystal and silver.
The Inn offered many fun activities. There was a ballroom with an orchestra for dancing. Guests could also enjoy a billiard parlor and a bowling alley. There was a bar and a gazebo for outdoor concerts. Other activities included boating, swimming, and fishing. Guests could also play golf, tennis, or go horseback riding and hunting.
The Inn's luxurious style attracted rich and famous people. Regular guests included Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. The Vanderbilt family also visited often. Other famous guests were John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison.
The Dam Breaks
On August 13, 1916, a big flood hit the area. The Toxaway River received 24 inches (610 mm) of rain in just 24 hours. The dam was not built to control high water levels. It broke under the pressure. More than 5 billion US gallons (19,000,000 m3) of water rushed over the falls. The water flowed all the way into South Carolina. Luckily, only one mule died in this disaster.
Today, Toxaway Falls still shows signs of the dam breaking. Its granite rock is exposed far down the falls. The Toxaway Inn itself survived the flood. But without the lake, it lost its purpose. The Inn stood empty for over 33 years. It was finally torn down in 1947.
Climate
Lake Toxaway has a subtropical highland climate. This means it has warm summers. Its winters are moderately cold. Lake Toxaway gets the most rain in North Carolina. It averages about 91 inches of rainfall each year.
| Climate data for Lake Toxaway, North Carolina (1981–2010 normals), | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.6 (7.6) |
48.5 (9.2) |
56.2 (13.4) |
66.5 (19.2) |
72.7 (22.6) |
74.3 (23.5) |
76.5 (24.7) |
74.9 (23.8) |
70.8 (21.6) |
62.6 (17.0) |
54.4 (12.4) |
46.3 (7.9) |
62.4 (16.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.7 (−4.1) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
33.1 (0.6) |
39.5 (4.2) |
49.1 (9.5) |
56.5 (13.6) |
60.2 (15.7) |
59.7 (15.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
42.7 (5.9) |
34.4 (1.3) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
42.2 (5.7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.50 (191) |
7.12 (181) |
7.76 (197) |
6.44 (164) |
6.52 (166) |
7.55 (192) |
9.04 (230) |
7.77 (197) |
8.16 (207) |
6.38 (162) |
8.44 (214) |
7.83 (199) |
90.51 (2,299) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.9 (12) |
2.7 (6.9) |
2.2 (5.6) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.1 (5.3) |
12.6 (32) |
| Source: xmACIS2 (Monthly Climate Normals) | |||||||||||||
Modern Lake Toxaway
Rebuilding the Lake
A group of investors bought the 9,000-acre (36 km2) area. This land once surrounded the old resort. R.D. Heinitsh, Sr., led this group. They started the Lake Toxaway Company. Their goal was to bring back the 640-acre lake.
Heinitsh cleared the entire area where the lake used to be. Then, he rebuilt the dam. He restored the lake to its original level. This was 3,010 feet (920 m) above sea level. This marked the beginning of the modern development era.
Lake Toxaway Country Club
In 1963, Heinitsh built a golf course. This led to the creation of the Lake Toxaway Country Club. The club has an 18-hole golf course. It was finished in 2008. The course is 6,418 yards long. It has special grass for greens and fairways.
The club also has a Tom Fazio Learning Center. This center opened in 2003. It's a 20-acre (81,000 m2) facility for learning golf. The Lake Toxaway Country Club also has five tennis courts. There are also several croquet courts.
Current Activities and Features
Today, Lake Toxaway is still the largest private lake in North Carolina. It is surrounded by several mountains. These include Hawk Mountain and Mt. Toxaway. There are also wilderness areas nearby. These total over 10,000 adjoining acres (40 km2).
Many fun activities happen at the lake. People enjoy fishing, swimming, and boating. Water skiing and sailing are also popular.
In 2018, the clubhouse had a big renovation. It cost $7.1 million. This renovation helped the club win an award. More improvements are planned for 2020. These will include a new pool and an outdoor dining area. There will also be an activities building.
The Greystone Inn
A Summer Home Becomes an Inn
Around 1910, the Armstrong family visited the Toxaway Inn. They were from Savannah. They decided to build a summer home at Lake Toxaway. In 1913, Lucy Camp Armstrong chose a spot. It was a small peninsula with oak trees. She even camped there in a tent with a hardwood floor. Her husband, George F. Armstrong, wanted her to be sure she liked the location.
Mrs. Armstrong's home was finished in 1915. It had six levels. It looked like a Swiss mountain cottage. It had special windows, flower boxes, and balconies. The foundation and walkways were made of local stone.
The Toxaway Inn never reopened after the dam broke in 1916. But the Armstrongs kept their home. George Armstrong died in the 1920s. Lucy Armstrong continued to spend summers there. Between 1915 and 1932, they added more to the home. They built a kitchen, a library, stables, and a swimming pool. This made it a home they could live in all year.
New Owners and Renovations
In the early 1930s, Lucy Armstrong married Carl Molz. He was a local businessman. They lived in her Swiss-style home until 1963. After Carl Molz died, Mrs. Moltz sold the home. She had lived there for 47 years. R.D Heinitsh Sr. bought the home. Mrs. Moltz moved to a smaller home on Lake Toxaway. She lived there until she passed away in 1971 at age ninety.
In 1984, Tim and Boo Boo Lovelace bought the property. They partnered with the Lake Toxaway Company. Together, they created The Greystone Inn. The mansion and a smaller cottage were renovated. They were then listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn opened on July 15, 1985. The Lovelaces later sold their share to the Lake Toxaway Company.
The Greystone Inn was the first country inn to win a special award. It received AAA's Four-Diamond Award. It won this award every year since it opened.
The Greystone Inn closed in 2015. Geoff and Shannon Ellis bought it in 2017. The new owners renovated the inn in 2018. They wanted to bring it back to its original beauty. The inn reopened in May 2018. The Greystone Inn is now open all year. It has 30 guest rooms. There is also a restaurant by the lake and a full-service spa.
