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Lakeview House – Earliest of Lakewood’s Resort Hotels

Did you know that the Lakeview House, built in 1870, was the first major lakefront hotel on the west side of Chautauqua Lake between Jamestown and Mayville? At the time, that area known as Lakeview was largely uninhabited, but was served by nearby rail lines & a train station of the Allegheny & Great Western Railroad, making it conveniently accessible by both land & water travel. Originally named Cowing House after the builder John Cowing, it was renamed Lakeview House in 1872. In 1874, the hotel & surrounding acreage was purchased by a group of investors headed by brothers John & Warren Packard – the family in later years becoming widely known for their business interests which included Packard Electric & Packard Motorcar Companies. The Packards developed the lakefront areas near the hotel with the construction of individual summer cottages, many of which remain today between Terrace Ave. & Lake St. in Lakewood, the name of the village that was established in 1880. The Lakeview House was ultimately demolished in 1889 to make way for the larger & more luxurious Sterlingworth Hotel. Reference Credit: Around Chautauqua Lake, Paul Leone and Mary Poshka. Photo courtesy of Fenton Historical Society.

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