History of
Mt. Philo
Charlotte,  Vermont  

Mt. Philo Road, as a dirt road, heading north from the Hollow Road
in North Ferrisburgh.
 

The view from 1958, courtesy of CardCow.com

"Frank Lewis had crafted a small house nearby.
He was persuaded by travelers of the need of an Inn in
the area. Many folks using Lake Champlain as a travel route
would disembark on Thompson's Point, just a couple miles
away."
The Inn and accompanying buildings were solidly built
for the purpose of housing vacation travelers.
For 70 years the The Mt. Philo Inn was a well known and well healed vacation resort, with proper dinners,
and a combination of eccentric housing including
tents, cabins and rooms at the inn. A staff of 25 attended to guest needs.
During the 1960's the rapid spread of cheap motels reduced business,
and after two generations the Lewis family sold.

For 20 years the Inn was owned by a variety of folks, who unsuccessfully tried to maintain the Inn and restaurant business. 

The Inn in the early 1960's

This photo, from 1898, shows the road up Mt. Philo, much as it is today.



View from mountain road before the last series of turns.




The Mt. Philo Inn was built in 1896, and was a country Inn until 1966. It is currently a family owned business operated by Jane and Dave Garbose since 1990. The photo on the top-left was taken in the late 1950's, and was on a postcard promotion. The Inn has been restored to the way it looked in it's heyday, maintaining its hardwood floors, complex molding, and vast gardens.  The Inn remained in the Lewis family until the 1960's.

 






The tower on Mt. Philo from 1920's