The Fryemont Inn turns 100
Mar 22, 2023 08:19AM ● By WNC Business
In 1923, timber baron Amos Frye built a hotel on a hill above Bryson City — a rambling, rustic, 2-story mountain lodge with massive stone fireplaces in both the lobby and dining hall. It offered 62 guest rooms, built to accommodate America’s new love affair with the family car and a growing interest in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. The early ‘20s was the genesis of family tourism.
Frye built the Fryemont Inn next to the 12-gabled white frame home he and his wife Lillian had built in 1895. Both the home – now known as the Frye-Randolph house – and the Fryemont Inn are on the National Register of Historic Places.
After the last of Frye’s family died in the 1950s, the Fryemont sat empty for several years. It was later purchased by the Dillard family, whose renovations resulted in fewer rooms, all with private baths. In 1982, the Fryemont was purchased by George and Sue Brown from Atlanta.
Frye built the Fryemont Inn next to the 12-gabled white frame home he and his wife Lillian had built in 1895. Both the home – now known as the Frye-Randolph house – and the Fryemont Inn are on the National Register of Historic Places.
After the last of Frye’s family died in the 1950s, the Fryemont sat empty for several years. It was later purchased by the Dillard family, whose renovations resulted in fewer rooms, all with private baths. In 1982, the Fryemont was purchased by George and Sue Brown from Atlanta.
Today, the Inn is operated by three generations of the Brown family. Sue and George are semi-retired, although Sue continues to cook breakfast most mornings. George Jr. with the help of his son, Tyler, is the Executive Chef and George’s wife Monica is the Hotel Manager. Their daughter Kathryn, a recent UNC Chapel Hill graduate, enjoys hosting at special events.
Learn more about the Fryemont’s lodging, dining and history at FryemontInn.com.
Source: Swain County Chamber of Commerce