The Sapphire Inn on
Sapphire Lake

THE SAPPHIRE INN ON SAPPHIRE LAKE

The Sapphire Valley Mining Company (also referred to as the Sapphire Valley Company) built the original structure, then known as the Sapphire Lodge, in 1892.

This era of construction was directly tied to the region's industrial boom, as the company was actively operating what were then the second-largest corundum mines in the United States.

Key Historical Details
The Original Builder: Led by R.A. Jacobs, the mining company dammed the Horsepasture River to create Sapphire Lake and constructed the lodge, cottages, and office facilities just above the shoreline.

Transition to the Toxaway Company: In 1896, the mining company sold its land and mineral holdings to the newly formed Toxaway Company, headed by E.H. Jennings. The structure was then renamed the Sapphire Inn and became part of Jennings' "Switzerland of America" resort network.

Location and Fate: The inn was located approximately five miles from the Fairfield Inn on the shores of Sapphire Lake (now known as Whisper Lake). It served as a popular hotel for 50 guests and as a home base for Toxaway Company management until it was destroyed by fire in the early 1930s.

Mining Connection: The naming of the valley and its hotels was a direct result of these mining efforts; in 1895, miners uncovered a massive wealth of blue corundum crystals (sapphires), prompting the shift in the area's identity from a mining village to a world-class resort destination.