Purity Spring Resort in East Madison is celebrating 100 years of hospitality. The lakeside resort, located within the lakes region and White Mountains of New Hampshire, has been family
owned since the late 1800s. Known for its abundance of four-season, outdoor recreational activities, Purity Spring Resort has long catered to families, groups and guests looking for traditional country lodging in a setting of forests, lakes, brooks and mountains. The resort surrounds pristine Purity Lake, which offers unblemished shorelines, sandy beaches, bogs and heaths, and is adjacent to a NH Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary.
Owned and operated by the Hoyt Family of Madison since the late 1800s, the original founder, Edward E. Hoyt, ran The Hoyt Natural Mineral Spring Water Company, shipping bottled Purity Spring Water to Boston and New York City. A decade later, Hoyt began to invite guests to his lakeside country inn before deciding in 1911 to devote more of his time to his lodging rather than his water business.
Originally named Purity Spring Farms and Cottages, guests from around New England were attracted to the 1,000-plus natural acres of fields and forests that surround spring-fed Purity Lake. The Hoyt Family made land preservation a priority and even during the lean years around World War I when business dropped considerably, remained focused on keeping the property intact.
My grandfather was devoted to keeping his land and passed on valuable lessons to my father, E. Milton Hoyt, says Ted Hoyt, senior operator and the fourth generation owner of Purity Spring.
People often offered my grandfather a lot of money for the lakefront property, but he refused, even though he could have used it. It was tough, he says. Grand-dad always impressed upon us the importance of not selling off the land, of preserving it, and keeping it intact. He wanted Purity Lake to remain one of the last undeveloped lakes in New Hampshire.
A weekend celebration kicks off the centennial anniversary on June 3-5, featuring loyal guests who have vacationed at Purity for generations and dignitaries from around New England.
A schedule of the weekend-long festivities is available online at www.purityspring.com.
Season-long activities will include numerous contests, vintage photo opportunities, stories and photos from prior guests and many theme activities for resort guests. One of the many promotions in honor of the anniversary will entail a grand prize give-away of a two-night Polar Express package drawing for any guests staying at the resort for three or more nights through October 16. A winner will be chosen on October 20 and announced on the resort Web site.
Today, Purity Spring offers numerous lodging options around Purity Lake, home-style meals, and an indoor pool and fitness center. During the warmer months, guests can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, miles of scenic hiking and mountain biking trails, in addition to an extensive summer recreational program for kids and families. The resort's unique lakeside setting has made it a popular site for family reunions and group gatherings, in addition to many lakeside wedding options and mountain-top ceremonies and receptions overlooking the pristine shoreline of Purity Lake below.
During the winter season, Purity Spring owns and operates King Pine Ski Area, which will also be celebrating an anniversary next season after 50 years of business. In addition to alpine skiing and snowboarding at King Pine, Purity Spring offers snowtubing, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing around Purity Lake, ice skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides.
The Hoyt family also owns and operates Camp Tohkomeupog, a summer boys camp celebrating 80 years in 2011; Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort, a four-season lakeside campground; The Bluffs RV Resort, a seasonal campground for active adults over 50, and Traditions Restaurant located at Purity Spring.