The 7 Gables :
Burnside ’ s history lodged in business
� The 7 Gables Motel as it currently stands along U . S . 27 in Burnside .
Photos by Christopher Harris
� The 7 Gables Motel as it looked after being built in the relocated Burnside in the ‘ 50s .
Photo courtesy of Jackson family
By Christopher Harris
Most likely , many an Ohio Navy tourist has driven by the 7 Gables Motel in Burnside , a relatively unassuming motor lodge along South U . S . 27 , cutting through the heart of Burnside , and gave it little more than a passing glance .
It ’ s impossible to do so and see the rich history that the inn has in “ the only town on Lake Cumberland .” Particularly since Lake Cumberland is now effectively on the 7 Gables — at least , the original incarnation of it .
The establishment first opened as the Seven Gables Hotel in 1878 , a grand wooden structure that looked like a mansion nestled among the sylvan tranquility of the southern Pulaski community . The building was adorned with — you guessed it — seven pointed gables , a design feature that gave it a wealthy , classic look . It also offered an ornately-designed fountain that made
26 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky September 2022