Mountain View Inn to close; financial hardship blamed
The Mountain View Inn in Unity, a cherished Westmoreland County landmark, likely will close this weekend, a victim of the recession and business reverses.
President Vance E. Booher III said Wednesday that he will close the Route 30 hotel and restaurant Sunday "barring a significant financial change."
For more than 80 years, the inn has played host to scores of dignitaries ranging from Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to orchestra leader Guy Lombardo and actor Harrison Ford. Its quaint, picturesque grounds and two Victorian gazebos have been the backdrop to weddings and other special events for decades.
Booher said the inn's bank has refused to extend a line of credit that would keep it open.
He said the recession, coupled with "significant extraordinary declines in business," left him with few options. He said if the bank doesn't reverse its decision, he will start returning deposits for wedding receptions, hotel rooms, banquets and other events.
A housekeeping employee who has worked at the inn for 20 years cried as she left the parking lot yesterday.
"It's so sad," said the woman, who declined to be identified. "There's so much history here."
Disbelief
Lisa Rossi of Oakdale, regional director of the Western Allegheny Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society, said she was shocked at the news. The nonprofit had planned to hold its annual banquet at the inn Feb. 6.
"I just put a call in to them because I heard the rumors, but they told me my event was secure," Rossi said. "This comes as a complete shock. We've held our event up there for about 10 years without a hitch. I've already sold 100 tickets."
Charles Martin, president of the Sons of the American Revolution Arthur St. Clair Chapter, which met monthly at the 89-room inn, said he had no inkling that the closing was coming.
"We even talked to the waiter about changing the menu for next month," Martin said.
Ellen Deslam of Greensburg booked the inn for the sold-out 2009 Women's Expo scheduled for next month. She said she learned of the closing by chance.
"I made a call to them Monday and they said they were negotiating with banks," Deslam said. "By the grace of God, I contacted the Four Points Sheraton and they had the same exact date open."
Bad times and good
The inn was built in 1924, according to Brian Butko, editor of the Western Pennsylvania History Magazine at the Senator John Heinz History Center and author of "Greetings from the Lincoln Highway." It is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
First known as "Mountainview," it was built on a 105-acre farm by a group of Greensburg businessmen. It initially had 20 guest rooms and a gas station and was designed to be a "stopping place for tourists," according to a 1924 newspaper story.
During the Great Depression, the inn went bankrupt and was taken over by First National Bank of Greensburg. In 1940, Vance Booher Sr. and his brother, Ned, purchased the inn for $40,000. Later, Vance and Vicki Booher took over its operations.
The Boohers expanded the main lodge, which sits between Route 30 and the old Lincoln Highway. In 1997, they spent $2 million to add 37 rooms.
Distinguished
Known for its vast array of antiques, the inn has hosted countless social and community events. Its grill room boasts the largest collection of single-malt scotch in Pennsylvania; its wine cellar holds 3,000 bottles.
Aside from the presidents and actors who have visited there, the Dalai Lama stayed at the inn, as did The Rolling Stones, Tony Bennett and Three Dog Night.
Butko said the inn is unique because it is one of the last remaining landmarks of an era when the Lincoln Highway was an unpaved two-lane road.
"Cars making their way up the hill would stop there, cool down, refill and stop to enjoy the mountain view," Butko said. "It's pretty sad that it's closing. It was one of the last places left."
