About 80 people gathered at the Lost River Farmers Market on Saturday, Aug. 15, to celebrate
the life, work and contributions of longtime Lost River resident, homebuilder, and businessman
Bob Dillard.
Lost River Pride President Tim Savoy presented Dillard with the 2026 Lost River Pride Lifetime
Achievement Award, recognizing his pioneering role in helping establish the Lost River Valley
as a welcoming and inclusive community for LGBTQ residents and visitors.
Dillard came to Lost River in the early 1980s and became instrumental in the development of a
community that was only beginning to take shape. He began turning 2,400 acres in the Mill Gap
Valley into what would become the Lost River Valley Property Association with more than 240
lots and 11 miles of roads
In 1982, Dillard added a pool and six bedrooms to his log home and opened what he called The
Guesthouse, known today as the Guesthouse at Lost River, encompassing 19 guest rooms, a
restaurant, bar, and other amenities.
Dillard’s influence can also be seen across the surrounding community. As a developer, builder
and real estate professional, he was central to the creation of residential communities including
Trout Pond, Stonewall I and II in Mathias, The Bluffs and The Summit at Lost River, as well as
the Warden Lake subdivision.
Those developments attracted new residents and second-home owners to the area, many from the
LGBTQ community, and helped contribute to the growth of the diverse community that exists in
the Lost River Valley today.
The Lost River Pride Award recognizes Dillard’s role as one of the trailblazers who helped make
that possible.
