Tip-Top House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tip-Top House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mt. Washington State Park, Sargent's Purchase, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1853 |
| Architect | Samuel F. Spaulding; Joseph S. Hall |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001673 |
| Added to NRHP | January 11, 1982 |
The Tip-Top House is a really old building on top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, United States. It was built way back in 1853. This makes it the oldest building still standing at the very top of the mountain. Many people think it's the oldest mountain-top hotel in the whole world!
Today, the Tip-Top House is not a hotel anymore. Instead, it has cool exhibits that teach you about the mountain's history. You can find it near the main visitor center on the summit. It's usually open from early May to early October, and you can visit for a small fee. This historic spot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
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What is the Tip-Top House Like?
The Tip-Top House sits right next to the very top of Mount Washington. This mountain is super tall, reaching 6,288 feet (1,917 m) high! It's the tallest mountain in the whole northeastern United States.
The building is on the southwest side of the summit. It's close to where the Mount Washington Cog Railway train stops and where cars park after driving up the Mount Washington Auto Road. The Tip-Top House is a rectangular building, about one and a half stories tall. Its walls are made from rough, strong granite stones. These stones were blasted right from the mountain itself! The inside of the building was mostly rebuilt after a fire in 1915.
A Look Back: History of the Tip-Top House
The Tip-Top House was built in 1853. It was meant to compete with another hotel nearby called the Summit House, which opened a year earlier. Samuel F. Spaulding built the Tip-Top House, and it cost about $7,000 back then.
Early Days as a Hotel
When it first opened, the Tip-Top House had a flat roof. On clear days, people would put a telescope on the roof. This made it a great spot for an observatory to look at the stars and views. But in the early 1860s, the flat roof was changed to a sloped roof.
A Newspaper Office
From 1877, the building had a new job. For seven years, it was the printing office for Among the Clouds. This was a newspaper all about Mount Washington! After the newspaper moved to a different spot, the Tip-Top House was left empty and started to fall apart.
Fires and Rebuilding
Over the years, many buildings on Mount Washington faced challenges, including fires. A big hotel with 91 rooms and a weather observatory were built on the summit. But in 1908, a huge fire, called the Great Fire of 1908, destroyed almost all the buildings on the mountain. Amazingly, the Tip-Top House was one of the few buildings that survived!
After the fire, the Tip-Top House was fixed up and became a hotel again. Later, when the Summit House was replaced, the Tip-Top House actually burned down too. But it was rebuilt and used as an extra part of the Summit House. It was finally left empty in 1968.
Restored for Visitors Today
In 1987, the Tip-Top House was carefully restored. They even put its flat roof back, just like it was when it was first built! Now, it's a special historic site run by the state. It helps visitors learn about the amazing history of Mount Washington.
Images for kids
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Stereoscopic image of the Summit House by the Bierstadt Brothers
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Stereoscopic image of Tip Top House by the Bierstadt Brothers
