Winter at the Toxaway Inn

This winter photograph shows the original Toxaway Inn sitting quietly on the edge of Lake Toxaway, taken sometime between 1903 and 1916, before the Great Flood of August 13, 1916.

Like many grand mountain resorts of its time, the Inn closed for the winter. Once the guests left, the doors were locked, the porches empty, and the building sat alone through the cold months, much like the seasonal hotel in The Shining. No heat, no staff, no activity. Just the structure, the snow, and the lake.

During the summer season, this place was alive with visitors arriving by train and carriage to escape the heat and enjoy one of the South's most elegant resorts. In winter, it rested, waiting for spring.

Within a few years of this photo, the dam failed during a historic rainfall event. The lake drained, the Inn was lost, and an entire chapter of Lake Toxaway history came to an abrupt end.

Images like this remind us how much once stood here, and why preserving the story matters.

A heartfelt thank you to the Historic Toxaway Foundation for their commitment in preseving the history of our community.