See's Motel, a four-bedroom landmark that has served the community of Wardensville in Hardy County for eight decades, recently reopened through the support of the Wardensville community.
The motel first opened as a family business by Christopher See and his wife, Orpha, in 1933. Their daughter, Marlene See, most recently operated the motel for many years, but she died last year and the motel closed.
Community members suggested that the Wardensville Town Council might be able to help keep the motel open.
Late last year, Wardensville Council created a new, 12-member Wardensville Development Authority to purchase and operate the motel.
"Folks in the community hated to see the motel close down – or worse yet, get purchased, torn down or turned into something else," Wardensville Mayor Tracey "Scotty" Miller said in a news release. "We thought that here was an opportunity for us to keep a local landmark and run it like it had been run for years."
Miller bought the motel on behalf of the town last October at an auction with financing through Capon Valley Bank of Wardensville.
Just before the new year, members of the community hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hotel to mark its re-open, which would become effective Jan. 2.
"I think it's important that we continue the legacy that the See family left Wardensville," Grace Garrett, a member of the WDA, who also serves on Town Council, said in a news release.
WDA Member Betsy Orndoff-Sayers, who also serves on the town's planning commission, said everyone who visits Wardensville is familiar with See's – from hunters and tourists to skiers, rafters and hikers.
"It's the right thing to do at the right time," Rollin Garrett, another member of the WDA board, said in a news release.
See's Motel is now open seven days a week. Call 304-874-3666 for reservations.
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