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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
The 2,300-acre Alpine Lake Resort and Conference Center is located northeast of Terra Alta, in Preston County. The private development, managed by the Alpine Lake Property Owners Association, includes 345 residences, a 150-acre lake, motel, restaurant, meeting rooms, fitness center, 18-hole golf course, cross-country ski trails, and tennis courts. The facilities are open to the public.
The resort started as a hunting and fishing camp in the 1930s. Arlie Hull, who lived near Terra Alta, owned the property. He created a five-acre lake, stocked it with bass, and bought adjoining land. In the early 1960s, a group of Preston County businessmen bought the 1,000-acre camp and named it Mountaintop Vacationland. To secure the loan, the group sold memberships in the development. They built a lodge, manager’s house, cabins, campground, and a swimming pool. In 1969, Morgantown industrialist J. W. Ruby and his wife, Hazel, whose company was named Mountaintop Development Co., bought the camp. The Rubys renamed the camp Alpine Lake, expanded the resort, and drew up a residential community plan. They offered lots for sale, first to charter members and then to the public. In 1980, Mountaintop Development deeded Alpine Lake to the property owners’ association.