Mountain Shore Properties has opened Hill Hall Hotel, a 40-room boutique property in downtown Fayetteville, West Virginia, housed within the town’s former high school and middle school near New River Gorge National Park. Originally built in 1923, the school buildings have been transformed into a new hospitality destination.
Preserving the 1923 school structures
The property underwent an extensive restoration led by Mae Pate, head of design at Mountain Shore Properties, with Aric Margolis serving as architect of record and David E. Looper & Company as general contractor. Zmmr developed the hotel’s brand identity and website, incorporating details that reference the building’s history.
The design of Hill Hall pairs preserved schoolhouse architecture with warm, residential interiors, transforming the property into a gathering place for travelers and local residents alike. The original school layouts give the guestrooms distinct dimensions and configurations, with a bright, airy palette of pale cream walls and drapery, soft paper lanterns, and pops of color in wine-red rugs and soft orange armchairs.
Meanwhile, former classrooms and hallways now function as lounges and reading spaces, retaining the openness and scale of the original buildings. Here, darker woods and warmer tones set a more intimate mood, complemented by ambient lighting.
Honoring family history at Hill Hall Hotel
Patsy’s, the hotel’s signature restaurant, takes its name from the grandmother of Stephen Wendell, founder and CEO of Mountain Shore Properties. Pat “Patsy” Phillips Wendell’s recipes, hospitality, and family traditions shaped the concept from the outset. Alongside the restaurant, Patsy’s Provisions gives hotel guests 24-hour access to snacks.
In the mural room, a large-scale work by West Virginia artist Nichole Westfall anchors a central lounge used for morning coffee and conversation. A custom-illustrated map by Patsy joins books, vintage photographs, handmade ceramics, and furnishings throughout the hotel.
Handpainted signage by West Virginia designer Jordana Bungard complements an interior palette of deep greens, muted blues, clay reds, soft neutrals, and natural wood that echo the surrounding New River Gorge landscape.
