Tag Archive for: The Sapphire Country

Postcard, the Franklin Hotel, Brevard NC

The Franklin Hotel: Gateway to the Sapphire Country

The Franklin Hotel was built in Brevard by the Toxaway Company as a gateway stop for their guests to the Sapphire Country, and in repayment to Brevardians for investment help to build a railway between the two.
The Fairfield Inn, Sapphire NC

The Fairfield Inn: Then and Now

The Fairfield Inn was the first great resort built by the Toxaway Company. Its storied history began in 1896 and ended after a fire in 1986 forced its closure and eventual demolition.
Toxaway Inn, view through trees

The Toxaway Company and the Great Resort Era

Just how did Western North Carolina become “the” resort venue in the late nineteenth century? It was largely due to the efforts of the Toxaway Company, a collection of industrialist entrepreneurs who built five great inns of the time.