It was spring of the mid 1920's that the history of Eagle Nest began, with a
native Virginian named Alonzo Tilden Horine, his wife Helen, two daughters and
a son. Alonso was a jeweler by trade and Helen a school teacher of music. They ,
as many did during that era, to earn a living, migrated to Detroit, Michigan. Now
nearing retirement, with successful careers the Horine's desperately wanted to
return to the Roanoke area where Helen was from, and they had first met. Alonso
himself was from Chattanooga, Tennessee and the beauty of the Allegheny
Highlands made him feel right at home, and was of course where he met his one
and only, first love. Their goals were clear, to open a small business in the area
and spend their retirement years.

One brisk spring day while touring the area, the property with its unusual
features caught their interest, especially the rock outcropping above the mountain
stream, to which, neither knows which first said, "it looks like an Eagle's Nest up
there", so before we purchased the property, we knew the name of our new
business, they were always quick to say. Stopping at the home of Wallace Lowry,
who lived nearby, they inquired.

In 1928 Mr Horine, son Agnew , neighbors and friends began clearing the land.
Logs from the land were used to construct what was soon to be evidenced by
all,...Helen's eye for the unusual, as she insisted that the restaurant span the
stream. And so it was in 1929, a log cabin restaurant spanning a clear sparkling
mountain stream, "how rare could that be"... with a concrete bridging culvert
serving as front porch which led into the driveway, parking and gas pumps, which
in those days were manually operated.

In any era, when vision and dream come together, at the same place and time...it
always seems to endure,...as Eagle Nest has over the years... With each owner, its
the dream of being a part of its history and future...as well as its enduring
vision...of always being unique.

In the fall of 1929 they were open for business, starting out with a few cartons
of cigarettes, 25 gallons of gas and good food to all. Cooking in those days were
done on wood fired stoves, lighting with oil lamps and wooden booths made of
small saplings. With  Rt.311  being not only a scenic route, it was a busy
connection between Covington ....White Sulphur Springs and Lewis burg.

  Helens special bar-b-que's and northern style sandwiches soon became a local
hit in the area, along with construction workers on two nearby tunnels, as well as
railroad support employees. By the mid 1930's Eagle Nest was the place known
for some as...."the best belly rubbing food you ever ett". It was also in the mid
1930's that Eagle Nest was the first in the Highlands to have electricity. Mr
Horine installed a generator for the demand of evening dining that was getting to
be so popular, because of what soon became to be 1 of the 2 most famous items on
the menu.....that is Helen's "Tennessee style fried chicken" she called it. Helen had
told the story, about what her husband had said, before they got married, "it's the
only thing I got to have like momma made so you need to learn it".

  With the Greenbrier Hotel and Resort in nearby West Virginia, the need for a
generator became a necessity, as management and guest from the Hotel were
becoming so frequent. They began referring to Eagle Nest as, "country gourmet
dining".....and were raving over the Eagle Nest fried chicken, as well as the 2nd
item that has become equally famous,....that is the most mouth watering oven baked
to a golden brown " bread pudding"....Topped with a blended whisky sause...and
to get really sinful, a scoop of vanilla ice cream!.....a unique recipe and blending
that Helen had brought from her family right here in the Highlands.

  From 1931 to 1937 the honeymoon cottage, above the stream, and several small
cottages for overnight guest were added. By 1937 they had picked up new business
from the Homestead Resort and Hot Springs area for evening dining and a great
destination for a Sunday drive, thru the Highlands to anyone local.

  Horine's daughter, Francis and husband Henry Benjamin had visited in 1937,
fell in love with the place, and by 1939 were eager to be successors when
approached by her mom and dad who said, this has become much more than the
retirement we had in mind.....so the Benjamin's moved from Detroit and began
learning the secrets of Eagle Nest fried chicken and famous bread pudding among
other recipes as well. Yeap they were bitten at first glance!

  Francis was an upcoming stage actress, having played small supportive parts
with Spencer Tracy and a few other celebrities, while Henry was in the insurance  
business. They quickly began putting their own influence on its history and built,
what has always been called.... "the stone room".....built for private parties, it was
used briefly for a residence, while the stone house on the hill was completed.
Francis and Henry had later said, in an interview from a local paper, ' "that it
was a page in their life they had no regrets about turning".

  The 1940's brought World War 2 and with the government activity at the
Greenbrier Hotel, as it had become a hospital, business flourished even more.
Doctors, nurses and military personnel looking for a quiet evening and fine
dining, found that Eagle Nest was becoming a memory to be lived. Lived, as so
many who have carved their names on its interior logs. Its fascinating to just
walk around and read the names, but please ask before carving your name.
Eventually the gas pumps were gone, a few more improvements and the majority
of the nearly 650 + acres was becoming a private hot spot for hunting and rental
of the small cabins.

  Time again brought forth a daughter named Susan and her husband Sam
Clemons, who in 1964 answered to the request of her mom and dad, who's health
was failing, to keep their dream and vision in memory, as the future brings its
changes. So the Clemons left Richmond and made Eagle Nest their new home. So
Sam and Susan being school teachers, easily adapted to the Highlands and
quickly began having their unique influence on Eagle Nest history.

  In 1972 Sam seeing the crucial need for expansion, moved the log structure
from over the stream to its present spot, and connected it to the "stone room" with
an adjacent new kitchen. Restroom's was built with all new water and sewer
facility's, as well. Sam who still owns and maintains the grounds, still serves the
family history in maintaining the traditions of Eagle Nest, and had permitted
ownership of the restaurant and its facilitys to Bill Scott in 1979, who was a
retired food and service critic for a large hotel chain. Mr Scott said he had always
wanted a restaurant of his own, but nothing was ever the right place, "till I met
Eagle Nest".

  Bill Scott new fine dining, as it was his previous job to be a critic, and so he
again elevated Eagle Nest with a new full view glass dining area, new walkways
overlooking the stream, waterfall and outside seating from which to view from.
There were two recipes Mr Scott was charged with to mantain and preserve its
secretcy, as it was with Sam and Susan, as it was with Francis and Henry, as
they had received from Helen. That was, Eagle Nest Fried Chicken and Eagle
Nest Bread Pudding with a blended whisky sauce.

  It would have been impossible to maintain the essence of those recipes had it not
been for two very special people in Eagle Nest history.....the first being Pauline
Brisidine, who at age 14 began working in the kitchen with Helen in the mid
1930's, learning everything she could from Helen and Francis, she later became
the chef and stayed faithfull at Eagle Nest till her retirement in the 1970's.....along
in the 1960's with business still growing and the need for another cook, a young
lady named Margarette Leach came to Eagle Nest as an apprentice cook, she was
eager to learn, and as Pauline always said "that girl can cook" began taking over
the exclusive task of making the bread pudding and frying the chicken under
Pauline's carefull supervision.  Hence the secret of the recipes were maintained.

  Time again with its way of changing and preserving things brought a new
young lady on the scene who began working at Eagle Nest as a waitress and
helping in the kitchen as well, when needed. Bill Scott always said she was the
only employeee I had who could do it all and run the place when I wasn't there,
at the same time.

   Sharon Legg the present owner of course....who was of course, Bill  and Sam's
first and only consideration to pass on the traditions of Eagle Nest, as it has been
so faithfully preserved over the years. So in 1995 Sharon became the new owner of
Eagle Nest, and along with it came Margrette, so she has passed on her secrets to
Sharon. Margrette, who we come to love so much, went to be with the Lord a few
years ago, but we remember her in so many ways, especially in the history of
Eagle Nest.
Sharon has without question proven herself of like character, with those who have
shaped the history of Eagle Nest, by the way she continues to shape its future.
Sharon has added central air conditioning and heating through out the entire
facility, as well as a new and large dining hall adjacient to the main structure
that is climate controlled as well. Eagle Nest is now host to numerous weddings,
birthday parties, Christmas parties and various group events each year. To date,
since Eagle Nest's earlier history, during the Benjamin's time, every President of
the Greenbrier Hotel and his management staff dinners are still booked at least
twice a year.
Sharon continues to work hard to maintain the level of fine dining that Eagle
Nest has earned. Sharon has consistantly won the Virginia Wines award each
year for outstanding service, setting and presentation. Eagle Nest has been the
subject of numerous magazines articles for fine dining experiences in the area. So
many of the local guests will tell you, "that for a really special night out, with
that special someone, its got to be Eagle Nest". Mothers day and Easter at Eagle
Nest have become so popular that Sharon has gone to two seatings on those days
and still everything is booked completely.
Among Sharon's accomplishments, as not only a successfull business woman, she
is also a wife, mother of 5 and a grandmother of 4. Upon entering the restaurant
you will see pictures of her family everywhere in the main entrance, showing the
two things she loves the most, her family and Eagle Nest, feel free to browse if
you happen to get there early at the antiques, pictures and names carved in the
logs. Sharon has removed the log wall that was between the deck area and
adjacent dining room creating one large dining room with a view for all, of the
stream and honeymoon cottage. She has also added an aquarium, that is seated on
one of the original logs removed, that can be viewed from both sides.
Outside as you walk the grounds Sharon's eye for landscaping is evident in the
variety of flowers and shrubs she keeps so well maintained, as every wedding is
held outside, weather permitting, with the background of a beautifull mountain
stream and waterfall. Sharon has some new projects in the works, to remodel
several of the outside cottages for overnight guest and new landscaping changes it
will bring.
One thing about Eagle Nest that will never change is that for all who come, its not
just an experience, but a memory.