09/08/2026
🕰️ Through the Years
The Great Hotel Auction of 1856
Imagine walking into the Valley of Rocks Hotel in March 1856 to find almost everything up for sale.
This extraordinary auction notice offered the entire contents of the hotel to the highest bidder. It paints a remarkable picture of Victorian life, listing 150 mahogany and rosewood chairs, more than 40 dining and billiard tables, chandeliers, china, mirrors, carpets, feather beds, an eight-day clock, carriages, harnesses and even the stable equipment.
Every one of these items had once been part of the daily life of the hotel. Guests would have dined from the china, relaxed in the chairs, slept in the four-poster beds and gathered beneath the chandeliers.
Far from marking the end of the Valley of Rocks Hotel, this was most likely part of a change in ownership or tenancy—a common occurrence during the Victorian era. The hotel continued its story and would go on to evolve into the magnificent building we know today.
But here's the thought that really captured our imagination...
Where did all of those items go?
Could one of those mahogany tables still be standing in a local home? Could a mirror, chair or clock have been passed down through generations? Perhaps your family has an old photograph or a story connected to the sale.
We'd love your help solving a little piece of the hotel's history.
If you've ever been told that a piece of furniture came from the Valley of Rocks Hotel, or you have a family story connected with the hotel, please share it with us in the comments or send us a message. You never know – you might be holding a genuine piece of the hotel's past.
Every photograph, every document and every memory helps us uncover another chapter of the Valley of Rocks Hotel's remarkable story.
Through the Years – preserving the history, celebrating the heritage, and discovering the stories of the Valley of Rocks Hotel together.
