Scotland Hotel
Scotland Hotel
The Scotland Hotel, located in the small town of Scotland, Indiana, is a two-story frame structure with a large verandah-style porch on two sides of the building. The hotel is located on Lot 51, with an additional 22 feet from the south side of Lot 54.
In 1873 William H. Haig, a local merchant in Scotland, and his wife Mary bought the property to open a hotel. Previous owners of the lot in successive order were Thomas and Elizabeth Dagley, James and Martha Dagley, Ewell and Elizabeth Barker, Noah and Nancy Cox, Daniel and Mary Cox, James and Nancy Cox.
The hotel was built in 1879. After the death of her husband William, Mary Haig sold the property to Rufus and Cynthia E. Laughlin on June 8, 1885 for $377.78. The lot was described as having a dwelling and store-house, renting for $120.00 a year.
Others who have owned and operated the hotel were Alfred and Anna Morrison, James and Julia Whitaker, George M. and Estella Corbin, Greta Allen and Riley Richardson, R. W. and Martha Mortland.
The Scotland Hotel played an important role in rural nineteenth century commerce. Storekeepers came to buy the latest goods from salesmen known as drummers. They would spread out their wares on a long table in the front room of the hotel, and the storekeepers would order from them.
In addition to providing overnight lodging for people traveling through the area, the hotel also served as a home for school teachers, as well as some students who attended Scotland School. The residents of Scotland kept in touch with the world through the many visitors at the hotel. It was later used to house workers for nearby Crane Naval Ammunition Depot during World War II.
The hotel stayed open until the late 1960s and was purchased by the Scotland Historical Society in 1971. On May 27, 1993, the hotel was recognized in the National Register of Historical Places. It is only one of three Greene County sites registered and is the only house among those three. The other two are the Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge near Bloomfield and the Osborn site, southwest of Bloomfield.
The hotel is open to visitors during the Scotland Festival, the third week of September, and the Christmas Open House in December. All the proceeds are used to renovate and service the site.
Each year at the Scotland Festival, a large number of people assemble on the grounds of the hotel to view the artwork, to sit in the shade from the trees in the lawn, and to tour the facility. One of the beautiful rooms of the hotel is the "Drummer Room." Quilts are displayed and judged in this room during the festival.
This information was used with permission from the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.
