Richard Dallam Lee Fletcher Residence 
One Mason Ave, Cape Charles Virginia  
Now the luxurious Northampton Hotel 

Northampton Hotel as it looks today

This aerial photo shows the Northampton Hotel`s proximety to the Cape Charles public beach and provides a visual for the Sea Cottage Addition plat below original town plat. The original Cape CharlesTown plat map shows the street closest to the Chesapeake Bay as Pine St.

Cape Charles Original Town Plat Map

Sea Cottage Addition

The Sea Cottage Addition was a 38 acre tract of land that bordered Pine St. in the original Town of Cape Charles and on the west by the Cheasapeake Bay. The land was thought to be useless because it was low and marshy. It was laid out in 146 lots and added Bay and Harbor Avenues to the existing town.

The value of this property was quickly realized by two individuals. On June 7, 1904, W. B. Wilson and R.D.L. Fletcher, at that time manager and assistant manager of the Hollywood Farm, purchased 4 lots in block #001. On Jan. 14, 1908, Fletcher purchased 6 lots, 079, 080, 083, 084, 087 and 088 in block #002. It was on this property that R.D.L. Fletcher built his home, which is now the Northampton Hotel.
The plat map for this tract was not recorded until April 10, 1911, with it was recorded the purchase of 10 lots by the Cape Charles Real Estate Corporation.

Sea Cottage Addition Lot Survey

Richard Dallam Lee Fletcher, son of Spencer Drummond and Roberta Lee Fletcher, born Dec. 9, 1857 at Low Wood, Accomack Co. Va. spent his early manhood in Texas. Possibly, located around Uvalde, where his sister was living with her husband, Thomas Sutherland Evans, brother to his wife Elise Evans.
Fletcher was a long time assistant manager of the Hollywood Farm, a truck farm which was the owned by the estate of William L. Scott, President of NYP&N Railroad and founder of Cape Charles. R.D.L. Fletcher was president of the Cape Charles Bank in the 1920s, instrumental in chartering the Cape Charles Real Estate Corporation in 1910 and served on the town council for many years. 
Fletcher is listed in "Colonial Families of The United States of America" through his Mother`s family, the Lees of Maryland. 
R.D.L. Fletcher is a descendant of Henry Fletcher who in 1779 was appointed by Gov. Patrick Henry of Virginia, High Sheriff for Accomack County to collect revenue for carrying on the war. Henry was born in England and died in 1799 in Accomack County.

1920 Cape Charles Census

Eighth entry from top is Richard D. L. Fletcher listed as Bank President. Below are some other ventures Fletcher was invloved in according to local newspaper articles:

Accomac County Court Dec. 1883: Richard D. L. Fletcher qualified as assistant for Spencer D. Fletcher (his Father), commissioner of revenue for district No. 1.
Feb. 1887, RDL Fletcher was elected Vice President of Accomac and Northampton Agriculural Society.

"The Cape Charles Ice and Lumber Company was organized about 1887 and is composed of W. B. Wilson, R. D. L. Fletcher and J. W. Waples. It is the largest dealer in lumber, building materials, ship chandlery, ice and coal, hardware, etc., in the country. It has the entire trade in its line in Cape Charles, besides supplying the lower end of the peninsula with its wares, including a portion of Accomac county." Every court day R.D. L. Fletcher would be in Accomac taking orders.
In 1901, Cape Charles Ice and Lumber Company was moved from its location on the south side of the harbor (Bloodfield) to lot numbers 063, 066 and 067 in block #001 near Pine St. on Mason Ave and renamed Cape Charles Sash and Lumber Co. until 1905 when W. B. Wilson dissolved the partnership with Flecther and Waples. Wilson renamed it Cape Charles Hardware Company and moved it to the 200 block of Mason Ave. Presently, this business operates under the name of Watson`s Hardware in the 200 block of Mason Ave.

1898 Sanborn Map Cape Charles Ice & Lumber Co.

In this 1898 Sanborn Map, we see that the Cape Charles Ice and Lumber Company was located on the South side of the harbor near the dock.

In December 1888, Fletcher married Elise Marie Evans of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Her Father & family members were Engineers & attorneys involved in building complex railroad projects in Chile and elsewhere.

Mrs. Fletcher held Daughters of the American Revolution meetings in their residence at One Mason Ave. and in 1920, she held the office of Corresponding Secretary.

According to the Peninsula Enterprise newspaper January 17, 1903, the management of the Peninsula Telephone Company had been transferred to Cape Charles Va,. Mr. R. D. L. Fletcher had been elected general manager.

 Fletcher took in his nephew Tomas Fletcher Evans after his sister died in 1910 and Tomas was a clerk at the Cape Charles Bank during Fletcher`s presidency. Mr. R. D. L. Fletcher died suddenly of  heart failure on January 11, 1937. the estate sold the house and property he owned in Elizabeth City County, now Hampton Va. His widow Elisa and nephew, Tomas Evans lived with a Fletcher family member in Atlantic Va. until Elisa passed away in 1941. Tomas lived in Pokomoke City MD and worked at the Home Laundry in Onley Va. He died in Wilmington Delaware in 1968. They are all buried at the front section of the Cape Charles Cemetery, established 1890, including Fletcher`s Father and two sisters.

HISTORIC RESIDENCE BECOMES
NORTHAMPTON HOTEL
Mr. & Mrs. J. A. Mister, recent managers of Roosevelt Hotel, bought the R.D.L. Fletcher house from the estate in early 1938 and remodeled it adding a west wing and opened it as the Northampton Hotel. A Feb. 1938 newspaper article boasted the hotel had 30 bedrooms all with running water, 13 of which have private baths and a dining room that seats 22, but can accomodate 40 more. "With opening here of the Northampton Hotel by Mr. and Mrs. John A. Mister, owners and operators, Cape Charles will have as near an up to the minute transient hotel as will be found south of Salisbury if not Wilmington Del. Situated on the beachfront at the corner of Bay Avenue and Mason Ave, known as the R.D.L. Fletcher residenceand considered one of the finer homes of Cape Charles during its time, this building has been remodeled with an additional west wing and refurnished throughout. The entire building is heated by a well regulated hot water system."

post card ca. 1940s with hotel annex (center) on Bay Ave.

Northampton Hotel as it looked ca. 1950 frrom post card photo

Before historic renovation

The original R.D.L. Fletcher residence is on the right end of the hotel.
In the 1940s, Cape Charles was a bustling town with a harbor accomodating three types of passenger and freight transportation.
Not much is known about the history of the hotel from the late 1950s through the 1980s. In May 1950, the Virginia Ferry Corporation moved its Eastern Shore terminal from the harbor at Cape Charles to the new ferry terminal at Kiptpeke, which hurt the town financially. On April 15, 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel opened and changed transportation forever on the Eastern Shore.

old business card ca. 1970s

The hotel was bought a couple of times with the best intentions to bring it back to life, but for unforseen reasons it did not happen until much later. The hotel sat looking weathered and begging for someone to restore it to its former glory.

HISTORIC RENOVATION BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO NORTHAMPTON HOTEL

The Walker/Humphrey family of the Eastern Shore of Va, with the help of their brother`s architectural firm, The Patina Group of Richmond Va, put their hearts and souls into a three year historic renovation of Northampton Hotel. It opened in May 2018, restored beyond its former glory. The historical architecture is intact and the hotel offers modern ammenities that make for a one of a kind experience. There is also a restaurant and gift shop on the first floor. All rooms have a water view.

Northampton Hotel Renovation began in 2015

Photo above shows the original residence portion of the hotel.

Northampton Hotel renovation completed 2018

Dining on front porch or inside in two Tea Rooms

As seen from the pier at Cape Charles Public Beach

Four views from the Widow`s Watch atop the Northampton Hotel

 The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the most beautiful place in the state and Cape Charles is a charming Victorian town where you will find peace and serenity. I know I have. I can`t think of a better place to stay and take in local history, relax on the beach, visit local shops, and museums such as Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center and Barrier Island Center . You will not find a franchise establishment of any kind in the Town of Cape Charles.

Sources for this blog:

Early Records and Maps of Cape Charles, Virginia, Vol. 1 : Lewis

Newspapers: Peninsula Enterprise, Eastern Shore Herald

Northampton Hotel for 4 copyrighted hotel photos

Cape Charles: A Railroad Town : Jim Lewis

Ancestry.com

Special thanks to Ann at Cape Charles Memorial Library