The History of the Weirs Beach Smoke House...The Aquedoktan where the water meets the land

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Aquedoktan has been Weirs landmark since 1886

Weirs Times reader Anne Dustin of Shore Drive, Laconia, recently sent the Weirs Times a copy of a picture printed from a glass negative found in the barn in Rochester. The photo shows nine men standing beside a snow bank in front of a tree story building with an Aquedoktan sign on it.

Dustin wondered what the building was and weather it is still standing and asked if the editors or Weirs Times readers could provide any information on the building. The building shown in the photo was the Aquedoktan Hotel, which opened in the Weirs in 1886 and is still standing today and is the currently the site of the Weirs Beach Smokehouse, right next to the entry way to the weirs Drive-In Theater.

The photo submitted by Dustin must have been taken sometime before 1915, because a 1915 postcard reprinted on this week's front page shows that the name has been changed to the Pleasant View. The picture was probably taken around 1910-1912 as one of the signs on a telephone pole advertises the Lakeside Garage at the Weirs, indicating that automobiles were plentiful enough in the Lake Region at that time to make running a garage a profitable business.

Located across the street from the Aquedoktan at what is now the entryway to the parking area for Weirs Beach was “the Old Red Store,” which was torn down in 1902 and had for years been an important trading post. Warren Hue's “The Weirs” an images of America publication from Arcadia publishing, says that the passing of the Red Store was noted in a newspaper story which said” Over its counter has been sold in years gone by many dollars worth of West India goods, etc., to say nothing of many good gallons of New England rum.”

Also located at not far away from the Aquedoktan, near the water front of what was to become Weirs Beach, was a music hall, former roller skating rink in Concord which was torn down and resembled at the Weirs in July of 1886. Used for several years for the annual one-week festival of the New Hampshire Music Association, the building collapsed during a winter gala in 1902-03 and a new music hall was built on Tower Street, next to Trinity Methodist Church.

The Aquedoktan was known as the Pleasant View for more than a quarter of a century and later known as the Park View Hotel. During the time that it was known as the Park View a motel was constructed behind the building. A 1955 Lakes Region area tourist guide indicates that the hotel and motel were run by Gaston and Marie Jordan. The ad mentions the spacious sundeck, central dinning room and cocktail lounge and touts that its beds featured the Simmons innerspring mattresses.

In the late 1950s the hotel property was acquired by Charlie Bell'Mecherri of Andover, Mass., who rechristened the property the Eden Roc, after a noted Miami resort spa. John Lawton recalls that Charlie bought the property at an auction and then had to go home and tell his wife about the transaction.

The Eden Roc became popular gathering spot for Weirs area businessmen as well as bands that played at Irwin's Winnipesaukee Gardens, including Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. The bands stayed right there and would often close the bar on Tuesday nights and be there when it reopened on Wednesday,” recalls Lawton.

He said that the Eden Roc was a favorite watering hole of businessmen like Bob Aldrich, Alan Chase, Gar Greene, Al Volmerding and John Goodhue. When John Goodhue sold his marina to the state in 1965 he came in with the check and asked Charlie if he could cash it. That got quite the laugh,” says Lawton. The marina became the headquarters for the State Marine Patrol.

The Eden Roc was also favorite spot for actors who were staring in productions at the Gilford Playhouse, including Jim Kay who appeared in “The Sprit of 76” and entertained patrons with his singing after one of his performances. The Eden Roc was sold in the early 1970s to Kwan King, who changed the roofline of the building which became the Dragon Villa Chinese Restaurant.

It was later known as the Sand Bar Beach Resort and a front porch outdoor bar was added, the property was acquired by Debbie Tumey several years ago and renamed The Weirs Beach Smokehouse Restaurant and Lounge. The Smokehouse was winner of the 2002 WLKZ Chowderfest in Meredith. It is closed during the winter and will reopen in the spring.