Before the days of modern technology, Goffstown was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the east. The town boasted several hotels, skiing, swimming, hiking and more. The town relied on the tourist industry to survive and, for many years, the town was packed with visitors.

One hotel in particular was the Shirley Hill House, a grand hotel that sat at the top of Shirley Hill, not far from the Bedford line. The hotel was originally a small building, but as tourism boomed it grew. The new hotel was built in the 1870s and became one of the largest hotels south of the White Mountains.

From its perch high on Shirley Hill, the hotel had a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside, and looked out over the city of Manchester.

Vacationers would get to the hotel by taking the train to a station at the intersection of Wallace and Shirley Hill roads. From the station, vacationers would take a trolley car to the hotel. Rocks painted with white paint read “Welcome to Shirley Hill,” atop the hill.

The Hotel boasted 137 rooms, a sophisticated restaurant, tennis courts, hiking, swimming, and a large rock called the tipping rock. The tipping rock was a main attraction for guests, and a large pavilion sat next to the two large rocks. Groups from the hotel would travel to the rock and spend hours climbing, and sitting in the pavilion.

The tipping rock wasn’t the main reason people came, though. The beautiful view from Shirley Hill was the reason for the hotel’s success. Large decks on the hotel sprawled around the building. Many summers, the decks were crowded with people sitting and admiring the countryside.

Most vacationers at Shirley Hill House were from cities such as New York and Boston. The hotel became very popular with the affluent families of these cities, some staying for the summer. The mothers and children would come up for the whole summer, while the working fathers arrived for the weekends. Many people who vacationed at the hotel came to escape the heat and stress of the city, and found the cool mountain air of Goffstown soothing.

Wood groves and picnic areas surrounded the hotel, and the grounds of the Shirley hill House were usually crowded with people playing and relaxing.

The massive hotel had all the modern amenities of the time. The hotel’s food was fresh from local farms and was stored in a separate ice building.

The hotel reached its height in the early 1900s when it was overbooked every summer. With the invention of the automobile, less people visited, but many still did.

A devastating hurricane hit the area in 1938 and destroyed the hotel. Sadly, no effort was made to rebuild the hotel due to lack of tourism in Goffstown. For many years the staff’s quarters still remained, but now nothing of the hotel remains.

With the invention of the automobile, people didn’t have to rely on trains, and could travel farther and to more places. Nowadays, most people have no idea one of the largest and most successful vacation centers of the east sat in their backyards.

Goffstown Historical Society contributed information to this article.

Antonio Pastor is a seventh-grade student at Ross A. Lurgio School. His column examines lost tourist attractions and runs the fourth week of every month in the Bedford Journal.