One of Ashe County’s historical landmarks closed its doors this past Sunday as Larry and Amanda Smith of Glendale Springs Inn reluctantly ceased operations due to a poor economic climate.

Amanda Smith finished tying up a few loose ends on Monday morning as the inn’s phone continued to ring off the hook.

“We close the inn with sadness in our hearts,” Smith stated. “It was just one of the highlights of my life. It was something that I didn’t seek, it just sort of fell into my lap and we tried real hard to give a historical place back to the county.”

The Smith’s have owned and operated the Glendale Springs Inn and Restaurant for the past 13 years. During their tenure of ownership, the Smith’s oversaw the inn’s complete renovation which replaced the building’s aging plumbing and electrical infrastructure. The Smith’s also installed a central air and heating unit to ensure that their guests had a comfortable stay. Altogether, the inn’s kitchen alone was remodeled on three separate occasions.

In addition to the inn’s various interior renovations, the building’s exterior deteriorating siding and porch were replaced with milled wood to recreate the inn’s original state when it first opened at the turn of the century. The building and guest house was constructed by Daniel W. Adams who was also credited for the construction of the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs.

The restaurant and inn was known as one of the only bed and breakfast establishments in the community and offered patrons spacious rooms with scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Two parlors were also offered for guests who enjoyed playing cards or they could simply pass the time watching satellite television. For the cold or dreary weather, guests were treated to cozy evenings around the fireplace or a dip in a bubbling Jacuzzi in the inn’s first two rooms located downstairs.

The inn has reserved its place in history books as a footnote when President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore visited the inn for an evening meal following the ceremony that designated the New River as an American Heritage River in 1998.

“We have had a lot of wonderful times here,” Amanda Smith reminisced about the 1998 presidential visit.

Co-owner Larry Smith is also disheartened to relinquish the historic monument as he is quick to point out that the inn is on the National Registry for Historic Places.

“We’re very distraught taking this action of closing a historical site in the county but it is something we had to do,” Smith said. “We just need to cut back.”

Both Larry and Amanda cited how they strove to maintain the historical nature of the inn since they became owners but noted how the challenges of running the facility proved to be too much once the economy worsened.

“Larry and I tried to make something of it the best we could,” Smith said. “We tried real hard to give something back to the county for being the place that it is.”