Not that I've ever stayed there, or have any desire to, but I did stop in once to use the bathroom and it was like stepping into a 60's time capsule. The restaraunt was closed down at the time, but as I was passing it on my way to the bathroom I saw that there was a staircase in the middle of the dining room that led down into some sort of basement-smoking lounge or something. The woman that worked the front desk (she looked like she'd been working there a LONG TIME) wasn't crazy about me stopping in to just use the bathroom, so I wasn't about to go exploring, despite how tempting it was.

Does anyone know if this place is closing down for good? Even though Lorton is the armpit of NOVA, the Hunter Motel seems like one of those cool dinosaur landmarks from back in the day.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2015 08:19AM by WingNut.

That's thing, I'm not completely positive it's closing down. There's a sign at the entrance to the parking lot that says NO TRESSPASSING, and there's no cars in the parking lot or big rigs like there used to be, but when I drive by early in the morning all the outside lights are still on. The big 40 foot tall sign for it in the parking lot is not lit up however, and it's also damaged on one side. On the other hand, I can't imagine they're renovating it either.

Their website is not longer functioning. I believe that is it for the hunter motel.

Chances are they either have sold or are selling the land to a buiilder to build an office building. That's what happened to Pallone. The whole area is going to be office buildings soon. The opening of the BRAC building on the North Fort Belvoir site is going to bring a lot of other office space. Probably more retail as well. It might even be enough to get someone to actually renovate SPringfield Mall, or even better, tear it down and start over.

I'll always remember the Hunter Motel for the execution style murders back in the 60's

Shadow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chances are they either have sold or are selling
> the land to a buiilder to build an office
> building. That's what happened to Pallone. The
> whole area is going to be office buildings soon.
> The opening of the BRAC building on the North Fort
> Belvoir site is going to bring a lot of other
> office space. Probably more retail as well. It
> might even be enough to get someone to actually
> renovate SPringfield Mall, or even better, tear it
> down and start over.



I believe this is probably their approach. The family really doesn't need the money as they've been large land owners in the area for a LONG time. Mr. Hunter was killed in the motel during a robbery in the 70's, I believe. My Dad would take us to breakfast there in the mid-late 70's.

The family owned "huge...tracts of land." (Nothing to bicker and argue about. This is supposed to be a happy occasion.) They donated the land for the plot for the Springfield VFD. The Family Crest is on the front of the Firehouse. They also sold their land for the Greenspring Village Retirement place and other associated areas. Not unlikely for them to cash in on the BRAC cash in.

I stayed there once in the early 80's, and it was a step above a flophouse. Drunks in the parking lot, a fight broke out next door, and there were beer cans and garbage under my bed.

The basement was actually their banquet facility, I went to a couple of business meetings and things like that for breakfast a few times.

They owned all that land in greenspring and had a pile of it gobbled up for the parkway when the county did it's land grab. It sucked, because they had an AWESOME pond way in the back of that land. We used to sneak out there all the time to go fishing - and once the land was taken and the house was abandoned, it was open season at the pond, and it was over fished, and people drinking and partying back there ruined it.

Wow, I didn't know anything about the murders that took place there. That makes the place even more interesting, on top of being such a blast-from-the-past. I'll definately have to do some Googling on those murders, thanks for the info.!

Someone mentioned all the office space moving in because of BRAC... any hope that the Newington Industrial Complex will be redeveloped (the area along Cinderbed). That area is scary.

From Springfield Connection article in 2006:
The Hunter Motel will also become a thing of the past, after a plan change. The Newington landmark will be removed to make way for a new hotel, and potentially a restaurant and bank.

I remember partying there and climbing onto the roof which was accessible via the second floor balcony walkway.

I remember patronizing a "massage" establishment that used the motel as a temporary base of operations.....

I did some digging and they are in plans to try to put an Embassy Suites on that site. The motel itself is now closed.

They don't yet have full permission from the county yet.

That place had some serious kick ass burgers. One of the best I've ever had.

the same family who owned Hunters owns the Parkway Gas Station (the one that used to be just that Exxon before Newington exploded from truckstop to Industrial park) so I think that is their primary business now moreso than the hotel has been in years.

But yeah, sad to see that sign go............but then again I still miss those old railroad tracks that used to cross Telegraph. Anybody remember the High's Dairy mart and the gas station that used to be at the intersection of Telegraph and Backlick. Everytime I go under that overpass, I can picture those old buildings like hovering in the air above me LoLz

Gordon- I don't remember that High's, but I remember the one a little further North on Rt.1 in the other side of Belvoir. I miss that store and actually ran into one on my way to Indiana once :)

Holy Dairy Stores, Batman!!

THANK YOU, LOVE!! for posting that

cause up until now, I had NO IDEA there were any left

http://www.highsdairystores.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2011 08:58PM by Gordon Blvd.

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idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2015 07:43PM by WingNut.

I got to bang a a hooker there..for real, she was acually pretty hot..broke in the place, nasty ass shit hole though

I know your post is several years old, but yes, I remember the highs and the gas station, that only worked on foreign cars at Backlick and Telegraph Rds.

...I admit it. I have a fetish about fucking in those old cheap hotels. Put me in a marriott and it feels fake to me for some reason... (in a relationship now don't ask!)


Too bad I missed the chance!

My grandmother Mary Ellen worked there back in the days it was a beautiful place. Weddings and many special occasions happened there, the beautiful Christmas decoration and the smells of the buffet lit the place up. I worked there in the 90's I wish they kept up the place I dont think it would have went downhill not sure what happened, most all have passed away, When I hear people say it was a shithole breaks my heart. It was an amazing place the food the turkey club, banana cream pies, roast beef and breakfast was to die for. I miss it. RIP Hunter Motel. You are truley missed

The parcel Hunter sold to Erickson Corp. for the Greenspring retirement community...when was that? Acreage? Was it farm or forestland with any buildings on it? Was sale price listed publicly? Is the pond on their campus the same one where another poster snuck in to fish?
And how about the new development of $800K homes between the Parkway and Greenspring entrance? Did Hunter sell that to the County as well, or did Erickson offer it up to gain favor from the County so high school kids get contracting experience?

Angela Schoeni Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My grandmother Mary Ellen worked there back in the
> days it was a beautiful place. Weddings and many
> special occasions happened there, the beautiful
> Christmas decoration and the smells of the buffet
> lit the place up. I worked there in the 90's I
> wish they kept up the place I dont think it would
> have went downhill not sure what happened, most
> all have passed away, When I hear people say it
> was a shithole breaks my heart. It was an amazing
> place the food the turkey club, banana cream pies,
> roast beef and breakfast was to die for. I miss
> it. RIP Hunter Motel. You are truley missed

Just ignore the ignorant fucks on this forum...if people could've seen it back in the day they wouldn't run smack about it.

It was never the Ritz-Carlson but, if you wanted a clean, comfortable room and home cooked meals prepared from scratched and served by polite folks at respectable prices...the Hunter Motel was a fine, fine choice.

Back in the day, Shirley Highway ended at the Hunter Motel...it was almost as if Shirley was there to connect the Pentagon to Belvoir...

In the 80's, this place was the bomb. The food in the restaurant was great, the desserts even better and on Wednesdays and Sundays you'd have Sally at the organ. Sally was way too old to play my organ,but she could belt out stuff that would put Lawrence Welk to shame!!! There were some hot chicks who worked there, but sadly they weren't organists, if you know what I mean. Fred Tyler used to run the place - he was a great guy, always smoking a Salem. They used to have a bunch of cops staying or eating there which kept the scumbags and darkies to a minimum. Come to think of it, the only minorities I ever saw there were landscapers and bus boys. Those were the days!!! Now, the whole county is just a multi-cultural cesspool full of derelicts and parasites. I went to pull on the lot a few years ago, but had to stop quickly because a chain was across the drive. It was closed. I ignored the 'NO TRESPASSING' sign and walked onto the lot. The place was still intact, but there was a layer of dust on everything I could see from the doors. The grass was up and the passing of another landmark from the days when Fairfax was a nice place to be stood before me. It was sad. The years rolled back and I remembered the great meals I'd had there over the years. I miss Sally. I miss the organ. I miss The Hunter.