Dixon’s Point
From a stereoview by one of the earliest Laconia photographers, W.L. Wilder. Handwritten on the back is “View of Laconia as you enter the village near Taylor House”.
Various other views of Dixon’s Point.
Two Different Hotels – Side by Side
There were two different hotels located adjacent to each other at this location where these pictures of Dixon’s Point were taken. Because of tree growth and construction in the intervening years, it is not possible today to take similar photos of Dixon’s Point.
To the north, on the Laconia side of the Laconia/Belmont city line, stood the Vue de l’Eau hotel. In 1948, the Vue de l’Eau hotel was torn down by the New Hampshire Catholic Charities in order to build its “Home for the Aged”, which opened a year later, in September, 1949. The Saint Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and the Bishop Bradley Senior Living Community now occupy the location.
To the south, on the Belmont side, stood the Bay View House (also known as Taylor House or Taylor’s Hotel). The Bay View House was later renamed the Ewebin Inn, and then renamed again the Terrace Hotel, its final name. The structure was burned down in a controlled burn in 1963.
Edward E. Taylor, whose parents owned the Bay View House, founded the Taylor Home on Union Avenue in Laconia in 1907. Over the years, the Taylor Home has greatly expanded to become the Taylor Retirement Community with hundreds of living units on 104 acres.
The Bay View House
The Bay View House was the first hotel in this location, dating from the 1870s. The following photo is from a stereoview by photographer George H. Tebbetts.
The Vue De L’Eau Hotel
The Vue De L’Eau Hotel, the second hotel in this location, opened in April, 1897. The name means “Water View” in French.