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The Balsams Pristine Beauty PDF Print E-mail
Written by staff writer   
Friday, 02 March 2007

The Views and the Balsams, New Hampshire
The Views
Although an inn has stood in Dixville Notch since the early 19th century, it was through improvements to the later Dix House in the 1890s and into the early 1900s, that the Balsams and its particular brand of self-sufficiency were born.
    The “Dix House,” in the far northern reaches of New Hampshire, opened to the public July 4, 1875 under the ownership of George Parsons.  The White Mountain Echo reported that it was almost immediately renowned for its “beautiful walks, lovely rides, tumbling cascades, and easy Alpine climbs.”  The natural and healthful beauty of the Notch soon drew hundreds of visitors and the hotel was enlarged.

    After 20 years of ownership by the Parsons family, regular sojourners, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hale, impressed by their improved health, bought the Dix House, and, nodding to the prevalence of fir trees in the locale, changed the name to “The Balsams.”  Hale had made a fortune through his invention and manufacture of the reversible seat used in Pullman train cars and invested much of that fortune into his new venture.  In the year following his purchase, he more than doubled the guest capacity of the hotel.  Employee dormitories, on-site laundry, a golf course, and full-scale shopping bazaar were added in the new century, along with a dam to create an artificial lake for sports and, later, reservoirs to provide water to the complex’ electrical generating plant and a fish hatchery.  He also acquired local farms to supply the hotel’s restaurant.

The Grounds and the Balsams, New Hampshire
The Grounds
    Hale’s vision of a self-contained Alpine village in northern New Hampshire has been maintained through decades and subsequent owners; although it, too, has managed to evolve with the times.  Neil Tillotson, owner since the 1950s, propagated the vision of self-sufficiency by moving his corporate headquarters from Massachusetts to rear buildings in the complex, giving rental income to the resort and providing jobs for area residents.  By careful management of the resort’s 15,000 acres of woodlot, lumber is milled for the Balsams’ needs and some additional revenue is created by sales of excess.  Heat and most electricity are produced in the unique wood-waste energy facility.
    Since the fall of 2005 the Balsams’ management company, Delaware North Companies, has complemented Hale’s vision through the institution of its “Green Path” at the Grand Hotel.  A complete energy audit is being conducted in cooperation with the management of the Balsams’ power plant, compact fluorescent light bulbs are installed where possible, and studies of energy usage, water consumption and outflow, and waste disposal are expected to pave the way for major changes that will little affect guests’ comfort. The company states that the goal of the program is “making sure that our treasures are available for generations to come.”
    The Balsams was born from guests’ healthy response to its pristine and breathtaking environment; as it enters its second century, this grand hotel is determined to maintain its attention to balance and beauty.  877.225.7267,
www.thebalsams.com



Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 March 2007 )
 
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