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The
first recorded descent of Mount Mansfield by a skier
was in 1912, but it was not until 1933 that the Civilian
Conservation Corps cut the first official ski trail.
In 1936, the first rope tow was installed on the Toll
House slope and skiers could get a "lift"
for ten cents. The following year, 1937 the Hob
Knob was built as the first lodge designed exclusively
for skiers in Stowe.
The
Hob Knob was designed by Boston architect Royal Barry
Wills and built by artist W. Kenneth Hoyt. The
accommodations were Spartan by today's standards, small
rooms with bunk beds for a total of fourteen guests.
The large dining and sitting room was constructed with
hand hewn-beams from an abandoned barn on West Hill
and the massive fireplace was built with stones gathered
from local fields.
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The Hob Knob Inn circa 1937
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| When
the current owners, the Rigbys, acquired the Hob Knob
in 1965, the guest rooms had been converted to a dining
room and lounge. They have operated a public restaurant
since then, making them Stowe's most enduring restaurateurs.
In 1977, they built a modern spacious motel on the hillside
above the restaurant, and the Hob Knob continued its long
history of hosting year-round visitors to Stowe. |
