Greetings family, friends and neighbors, today's snippet is about Fremont's century old historic Belvoir Springs Hotel that has been host to countless silent screen stars. Here's more to the story..........Bill
Embedded Files
Historic Snippets
BELVOIR SPRINGS HOTEL
Nestled on the hillside above Mission Blvd. across from downtown
Niles and hidden from view by trees and bushes is the Belvoir
Springs Hotel, one of several hostels serving the busy Southern
Pacific depot at the turn of the last century. Giles and Nana
Chittenden purchased the one hundred and five acre parcel and
flowing spring from Jonas Clarkin in 1884 and built a large three
bedroom farmhouse. Over the years the Chittendens developed a
profitable fruit and nut orchard, dairy, and vegetable farm west of
Sulphur Springs Ranch and adjacent to John Rocks’ California
Nursery Company. With the beauty of the surroundings and
Nana’s welcoming charm, they added a summer camp for friends
and travelers, and guest rooms in the farm house basement to
board school teachers and railroad employees during the winter
months. When a fire destroyed much of the original building the
Chittenden’s took the opportunity to replace it with with a twenty
two room craftsman style hotel they named Belvoir Springs
(French for “Beautiful View”).
Niles was a sleepy agricultural community when Gilbert “Broncho
Billy” Anderson and the cast and crew from Chicago’s Essanay
Film Manufacturing Company arrived in town in 1912 with many of
the troupe temporarily staying in tents on the hotel grounds. As
they found permanent housing, a who’s who of silent screen stars
continued to visit the Belvoir Springs Hotel for lunch or dinner.
Marguerite Clayton, Anderson’s leading lady, lived at the hotel,
while Anderson, Augustus Carney, Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler,
James Gleason, Edna Purviance, Ben Turpin and Charlie Chaplin
could be spotted making their way from the studio on Niles Blvd.,
crossing the Southern Pacific tracks and Hayward-Mission San
Jose Road and strolling up the shaded driveway to the hotel to
dine and unwind after long days of cranking out fifteen minute
westerns and comedies.
The Essanay Studios closed in 1916 after four short years and the
troupe left town just as quickly as they had arrived. Nana Chittenen
decided to retire the following year and the once flourishing hotel
changed hands multiple times in succeeding decades. The acreage was sold off piecemeal and the hotel allowed to fall into disrepair. In 1994 new owners undertook a major renovation of the historic Belvoir Springs Hotel and it’s remaining grounds to create an upscale special events and extended stay venue. However, as of this date the website appears to be abandoned and the ambitious venture unsuccessful.
Now a private residence, the historic hotel with the “beautiful view”, sits on the hillside above Niles, out of view and unknown by passing motorists on
Mission Blvd.
Bill Ralph October 2024
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse