The Atlantic Hotel

· Capt. Josiah Pender built The Atlantic Hotel in 1859 for a total construction cost of $4,000. The Atlantic was 3 stories high with triple porches and numerous boardwalks and docks on which to get out to the boats, or just to take a stroll.

· Col. Charles Jones was the editor and owner of The Charlotte Observer, and raved about Beaufort and The Atlantic Hotel to his readership as a vacation place that no other place on the East Coast could rival.

· Governors, Judges, Colonels and Capt.’s were among the elite guests. Only the guests of the highest quality were admitted, and anyone who’s character was remotely questioned was refused service.

· Famous for their entertainment. Balls, galas, theatre, music, acrobats, dances, sailboat races, croquet, fishing, and bowling. They claimed that “there was never a bored guest”, and that “jollification” was enjoyed by everyone.

· During the Civil War, was used temporarily as a hospital. Run by the Sisters of Mercy, a group of nuns from St. Catherine’s convent in New York. Called The Hammond Hospital. Turned from ruin into a workable hospital by the sisters and their helpers.

· At the corner of Pine and Marsh streets was a small cemetery used to bury soldiers who had died at the Hammond Hospital. Any signs of this cemetery are nearly disappeared.

· A room was $2.50 a day in 1877. Round trip railroad tickets from Charlotte, good for the whole season were $19.05, a ten day ticket was $9.95

· In the spring of 1877, the Atlantic Hotel was damaged by a freak storm

· A Hurricane wiped out The Atlantic Hotel in 1879. The governor of NC was actually there when the hurricane hit. The owners of the Atlantic assured people that all was ok, while the rest of the town, wise to the weather patterns, prepared for the storm. The governor of NC, Thomas Jarvis, along with many others, lost all of his belongings and clothes when they had to immediately evacuate the Atlantic.

· All of the Beaufort water front was demolished and there was 8 feet of water on Front St. Winds were estimated to be 125 mph. The good citizens of Beaufort took good care of those who were left without clothes, belongings or a place to sleep. Railroad was damaged and the survivors from the Atlantic couldn’t leave until the track was fixed. Every boat in the harbor was either capsized or sitting somewhere in the town. One two-masted sloop came to rest 200 yards inland. Morehead City was also devastated by the storm.

· Ball gowns were found with price tags still attached for $75 or more. This was at the same time that a normal shirt could be bought for $1 and $150 would by an entire year of education at the local College.