Historic Hotels of America®, an official program of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, is pleased to announce The 2024
Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Best of Adaptive Reuse list. A
popular and creative approach to historic preservation, “adaptive
reuse” saves unused historic buildings from demolition by
rehabilitating and renovating them for a new purpose. Travelers can
visit many historic inns, resorts, and hotels in the United States
today because their owners chose to reimagine historic buildings in
sustainable and creative ways. At Historic Hotels of America,
adaptive reuse hotels offer travelers an immersive, authentic, and
fun way to experience their next trip.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240523932673/en/
Ledges Hotel (1890) Hawley, Pennsylvania.
Credit: Historic Hotels of America and Ledges Hotel.
Released during Preservation Month, The 2024 Top 25 Historic
Hotels of America® Best of Adaptive Reuse list spotlights 25 richly
preserved historic buildings that were not originally built to be
hotels. Historic Hotels of America guests can spend the night in
former factories where Ghirardelli chocolate and world-class cork
products were produced, or make a historic Masonic temple their
home base while exploring New Orleans. One historic hotel featured
on the list is a former junior high school that embraces its past
with “hall pass” guestroom keycards and signature cocktails like
the Prom Queen. Another historic hotel featured on the list is a
former train station that curates train-car-themed suites, named
after ticketing agents who once worked there. Others offer dining
inside a historic bank vault and historic smokestack. These hotels
are living proof that historic buildings can serve contemporary
needs while preserving their timeless character.
This month, the nation’s leading preservation nonprofit is
shining a spotlight on the ways in which history and heritage are
preserved in the United States, and on the people who are doing
this important work. The theme this year honors “People Saving
Places.” For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org and
sign up for Discover & Explore to stay up to date on news and
special offers.
El Convento Hotel (1646) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Former Carmelite Convent
Located in the historic walled city of Old San Juan, El Convento
Hotel was built over 350 years ago to be a Roman Catholic convent
for nuns of the Carmelite Order. The land was donated to the order
by Doña Ana Lanzós, a wealthy widow, in the early 1600s, but
construction was delayed while labor and material resources were
redirected to build the city's fortifications. In 1646, King
Phillip IV of Spain approved the convent, and San Juan finally had
its beautiful new convent. Debuting as the “Monasterio del Señor
San José de la Orden de nuestra Señora del Carmen” in 1651, the
convent welcomed three nuns from Hispaniola as its first residents.
For nearly 250 years, the convent was one of the Caribbean’s major
Catholic facilities, often providing support to the Catedral
Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista—the second-most historic
cathedral in the Americas. In 1903, the convent closed. The Bishop
of Puerto Rico determined that the convent was too expensive to
maintain, and the building faced an uncertain future for 50 years.
In the mid-20th century, Robert Woolworth stepped in and invested
in a complete rehabilitation of the building, ultimately
transforming the aged convent into a stunning, boutique hotel.
Reborn as El Convento Hotel, it soon emerged as one of the most
popular vacation destinations in all of San Juan. In fact, numerous
celebrities—including Rita Hayworth and Truman Capote—were among
the first guests to step inside. Further restorations and
renovations have rejuvenated the building’s historical and
structural integrity, revitalizing the Spanish-style design
features of the original convent, such as the architectural details
throughout the building’s façade. Among other historic features, a
300-year-old Spanish nispero fruit tree remains in the historic
courtyard. El Convento Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of
America in 1999.
Kings Courtyard Inn (1853) Charleston, South Carolina
Former Mixed-Use Commercial Building
The welcoming Kings Courtyard Inn was established in the
mixed-use historic Blum Building, which encompasses 192-198 King
Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The Blum Building
was constructed in 1853 by Colonel J. Charles Blum and was designed
by Francis D. Lee in the Greek Revival style of architecture, with
Egyptian-style architectural details. This building transformed
Lower King Street, changing the neighborhood from single-family
homes to mixed-use buildings, with retail trade, rental units, and
hotels. Establishments like “F. Petit Confectionary” and “Fancy
Goods” and “Mrs. Evan’s boarding house” opened in the 1850s. Over
the years, the building saw various occupants and uses, reflecting
the evolving needs of Charleston. By the mid-20th century, it had
accommodated many different businesses, including a bicycle shop
and a skating rink. Despite experiencing periods of neglect, the
building's architectural significance endured, and it was lovingly
restored to its former glory in 1983. The effort to rehabilitate
the building was led by Charleston businessman Richard T. Widman,
Founder of Charming Inns®. Original lightwells were transformed
into courtyards, and 34 guestrooms were appointed with 18th-century
reproduction furniture. The building’s stunning, oversized windows,
and its stylized columns and delicate ironwork, which were added
around the turn-of-the-century, were all meticulously preserved and
can be seen at the inn today. The preservation work accomplished at
the Kings Courtyard Inn resulted in contemporary comfort for
guests, while making the building's architectural significance and
its role in the city's heritage accessible to visitors. Kings
Courtyard Inn was inducted as a Charter Member of Historic Hotels
of America in 1989.
Cork Factory Hotel (1865) Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania
Former Cork Factory
Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was once
the home of Lancaster Cork Works and the Armstrong Cork and Kerr
Glass companies. Built in 1865, the Lancaster Cork Works factory
contributed to the region’s manufacturing identity, and its
infrastructure helped Thomas M. Armstrong, the founder of the
world’s largest supplier of cork-related goods in the 1890s, expand
into the region in 1895. Armstrong named the factory the Lancaster
Closure Plant, where the manufacturing of cork gave way to
insulated corkboard, fiberboard, and then linoleum products. The
Lancaster factories proved so effective in producing the new goods
that the entire Armstrong Cork Company completely relocated to
Lancaster in 1929. By the mid-20th century, the Armstrong Cork
Company was one of the most powerful corporations in the United
States, and employed 800 workers at the Lancaster factory. In 1969,
the company sold its Lancaster complex to the Kerr Glass
Manufacturing Corporation, who retained most of the workforce and
honored existing labor contracts. In 2000, the glass factory
closed, and a real estate developer transformed the historic brick
building into Urban Place, a mixed-use community with offices,
restaurants, storefronts, and upscale apartments. One wing of the
facility was transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel, which
opened in 2009 as the Cork Factory Hotel. Visitors to Cork Factory
Hotel can enjoy the restored factory’s original brick interior
walls and exposed wood ceilings, along with the luxury of a modern
hotel. Cork Factory Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of
America in 2010.
The Inn at Leola Village, Est. 1867 (1867) Leola,
Pennsylvania
Former Amish Tobacco Farm
Nestled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, The Inn at Leola
Village, Est. 1867, is a collection of charming 19th-century
farmhouses, barns, and other buildings that once supported a
historic tobacco farm, but is a romantic destination today.
Starting with the construction of the first farmhouse in 1867, this
farm cultivated tobacco for the cigar factories in the nearby city
of Lancaster. The farm operated until the late-20th century. By
1999, the buildings were abandoned and threatened with demolition,
but were saved when preservation-minded caretakers acquired the
land. The new owners transformed the village’s several barns, tool
shed, two smaller farmhouses, and main farmhouse into a boutique
hotel, The Inn at Leola Village, Est. 1867. The team meticulously
converted the tobacco barn into a handful of signature suites,
showcasing vaulted ceilings and rustic post-and-beam construction.
The Wine Cellar Suite in the lower level of the historic Bard House
offers guests a unique guestroom with exposed stone walls, an
arched reading nook, and exposed beams—as well as an oversized
whirlpool tub, luxury king-size bed, and fine appointments. The inn
offers contemporary guests the best qualities of Amish life in the
19th century, blended with today’s modern comforts and luxury
offerings, like an award-winning spa. The Inn at Leola Village,
Est. 1867 was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2001.
Atheneum Suite Hotel (1879) Detroit, Michigan
Former Seed Company Warehouse
Originally a seed company warehouse in Detroit, Michigan, when
the city was considered to be the “Seed Capital of the World,”
Atheneum Suite Hotel offers contemporary travelers 173 elegant
suites with views of the city's skyline. The business's history can
be traced to 1856, when businessman Dexter Mason Ferry established
his seed-growing company in Detroit, and opened a large warehouse
complex on the corner of Monroe Street and Beaubien Boulevard in
1879. The most historic portion of the surviving building dates to
1886, when a newer, grander warehouse was designed by architect
Gordon S. Lloyd, who drew inspiration for a new Romanesque-style
warehouse from Marshall Field’s Wholesale Store in Chicago.
Debuting as the largest industrial structure in Detroit at the
time, the building stood eight stories tall and featured a
marvelous brick façade with limestone trim. The ornate warehouse
served as the company's headquarters for decades. By the 1950s, the
company expanded into world markets as the Ferry-Morse Seed Company
and moved its business operations away from Detroit, leading to the
closure of its historic warehouse. In the 1980s, businessman Jim
Papas, a Greek immigrant with deep connections to the neighborhood,
acquired the site and planned to build an upscale hotel. He
recognized the building’s rich heritage and directed the
renovations to preserve the building’s architectural integrity.
Papas and his team transformed the Ferry-Morse Company’s warehouse
into a multi-use urban mall known as Trappers Alley, establishing
the Atheneum Suite Hotel at the same time. Part of the historic
Greektown neighborhood, the Atheneum Suite Hotel was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2023.
La Posada de Santa Fe (1882) Santa Fe, New Mexico
Former Family Home
Set on six beautifully landscaped acres in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
La Posada de Santa Fe was originally constructed as a private
family home. La Posada's history harkens back to the arrival of
German immigrant Abraham Staab and his wife, Julia. The Staabs
arrived in Santa Fe in the mid-1850s, after making the arduous
journey along the Santa Fe Trail. Their grand family home, now part
of a luxury resort in downtown Santa Fe, was completed in 1882.
When Abraham passed away in 1913, the house remained a private
residence until the 1930s, when the new owners transformed the
mansion and adjacent land into a hotel with casita-style
guestrooms, calling it La Posada Inn. At the time, Santa Fe was a
major stop along historic Route 66, which many Dust Bowl refugees
used to travel to California during the Great Depression. New
motels, restaurants, and service stations popped up along the route
to support the increasing traffic during this era. Although many of
these establishments have disappeared, La Posada de Santa Fe has
offered fine hospitality ever since, with millions of dollars
invested in preserving its 19th and 20th century historic details,
while modernizing accommodations throughout the years. For example,
in 1987, several historic stables and sheds were converted into new
casita-style guestrooms. Ten years later, a larger investment
transformed La Posada de Santa Fe into a sprawling, world-class
resort, with new facilities like a spa and conference space. More
updates and restorations were made in 2013, when the hotel changed
ownership once again. Beloved for over 140 years, the historic 1882
Victorian era Staab residence, and surrounding 1930s Pueblo
Revival-style casitas, are a fascinating way for guests to discover
New Mexico’s rich history. La Posada de Santa Fe was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2019.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton
Mill (1884) Madison, Indiana
Former Cotton Mill
Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Fairfield Inn &
Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill was built in 1884 as a
cotton mill. Local builders Robert Rankin and James White
constructed the Eagle Cotton Mill in 1884 to bolster Madison’s
manufacturing economy. They used money raised through local
subscriptions to purchase and relocate equipment from a
Pennsylvania mill, and by the turn of the twentieth century, the
mill was the city’s major industrial plant, with 400 employees
producing muslin, canvas, and twine. The mill ceased operations
during the Great Depression, and the building housed other
manufacturing operations for another 50 years, producing shoes,
canvas military goods, ice cream carts for vendors, and
refrigerators. Despite its prime location, the building fell into
disrepair, and was even listed on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most
Endangered places list in 2013 and 2014. Preservation-minded
investors soon saved the building, carefully renovating and
restoring it. On the outside, the façade remains mostly the same,
as a masonry company repaired more than a million original bricks,
and new windows were installed within the original frames. Inside,
the building retains its original wooden beams, where visitors can
see where factory workers carved their names, and the names of
their loved ones, into the wood. Original wood from the mill's
historic stairs was repurposed and installed as a statement wall
behind the lobby bar. Complementing these historic features, the
interior design and artwork highlight the building’s history. When
the Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill
opened, it won the Indiana Landmarks Renaissance Award, recognizing
its physical and subsequent economic revitalization. Fairfield Inn
& Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2023.
Napa River Inn (1884) Napa, California
Former Warehouse
Napa River Inn is a historic hotel on the Napa River in
California’s verdant Wine Country. However, this riverfront getaway
has not always been a boutique hotel. Napa River Inn was known as
the Hatt Building for decades, and served a variety of purposes
before its most recent transformation. In 1882, Captain Albert E.
Hatt, a German immigrant, decided to invest in a plot of land at
the corner of Main Street and Fifth Street in Napa, where he built
a massive multipurpose warehouse that became a success. Local
merchants used the warehouse to store goods, and the warehouse
provided space for Alma Hogan Hatt, Albert’s wife, to open a
restaurant. On the second floor, the Hatts added a skating rink,
library, and dining area. After the Hatt family moved on, the
building served as a granary and mill for local farmers for
approximately 50 years. After a period of uncertainty in the late
20th century, an investor acquired the building in 1992 with a plan
to transform it into a stunning hotel, worthy of the beautiful Napa
Valley, while preserving the facility’s rich architectural
integrity. The Hatt Building debuted as the Napa River Inn in 2000.
Today, guests can stay in guestrooms with exposed brick walls that
are original to the warehouse, and can even book Captain Hatt's
Suite, complete with a fireplace and clawfoot slipper bathtub.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and once named
as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, Napa River Inn was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2004.
Ledges Hotel (1890) Hawley, Pennsylvania
Former Glass Factory
Perched on the edge of Wallenpaupack Creek in Hawley,
Pennsylvania, amid the breathtaking scenery of the Pocono
Mountains, Ledges Hotel is a tranquil destination with a
fascinating industrial history. The five-story Federal-style
building dates to the 1890s, when it served as the J.S. O’Connor
American Rich Cut Glassware Factory, one of the largest of its kind
in the United States at the time. Founded by an Irish immigrant,
the factory on Wallenpaupack Creek was water-powered, and one of
the county’s biggest employers. In 2011, family-owned Settlers
Hospitality Group acquired the building to develop a hotel and
restaurant that would preserve the aesthetic of this historic
building, constructed with Pennsylvania Bluestone. Wood from the
trusses of the adjacent Bellemonte Silk Mill was repurposed into
modern beds and tables for guestrooms. Décor in the hotel’s
restaurant, Glass, includes original glass mold prints from the
factory, as well as historic images from its factory era. Wood from
a fallen 250-year-old copper beech tree was used to create a live
edge bar and tabletops for the dining room. A part of the hotel
known as “the ruins” was converted into an outdoor lounge space.
This area is a guest favorite, and allows visitors to see a portion
of the original factory building, where the architecture blends
seamlessly with the surrounding natural rock ledges and waterfall.
Merging modern design and amenities with historical integrity and
environmental sustainability, Ledges Hotel was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2013.
Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square (1893) San
Francisco, California
Former Chocolate Factory
With history as rich as the chocolate that funded it, the
historic clock tower building at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square
has been home to the Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square
since 2008. The residential-style, all-suite private residence club
allows owners and guests to experience one of San Francisco’s most
iconic tourist destinations. Many of the hotel’s guestrooms feature
the factory’s original brick walls, as well as breathtaking views
of the San Francisco Bay and city skyline. The building was
established in 1893, when chocolatier and Italian immigrant
Domenico Ghirardelli purchased an entire city block known at the
time as the Pioneer Woolen Mill complex. The Ghirardelli Chocolate
Company grew exponentially at the end of the 19th century, and the
family hired architect William S. Mooser to renovate the entire
complex. In the 1960s, the chocolate company moved to San Leandro,
leaving a chocolate shop to carry on the legacy at Fisherman’s
Wharf. But the history of San Francisco’s chocolate business lives
on through the creation of Ghirardelli Square, a commercial area
that preserved the original brick building and architectural
details while inviting in new boutique shops and restaurants. Set
on the San Francisco Bay, Ghirardelli Square has since become one
of San Francisco’s most cherished attractions, charming thousands
of visitors every year. The historic Fairmont Heritage Place,
Ghirardelli Square was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in
2016.
The Kendall Hotel (1894) Cambridge, Massachusetts
Former Fire Engine House
The origins of The Kendall Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
harken back to the height of the Gilded Age. During the 1890s, the
neighborhood of Kendall Square had rapidly emerged as one of
Cambridge’s most industrialized areas. Due to the neighborhood's
growth, city officials extended a branch of the Cambridge Fire
Department to the area. Engine 7, the new station, moved into a
state-of-the-art engine house in 1894. Designed by architects R.J.
Fitzgerald and S.D. Mitchell of Boston, it contained numerous
technological innovations, including advanced steam pumpers, coal
bunkers, and a novel fire engine. It was one of the region’s first
single-purpose fire stations, and the Engine 7 Firehouse served
Kendall Square until 1993. At that time, the historic Engine 7
moved to a new, modern headquarters. Left abandoned, the fate of
the engine house appeared bleak until two preservationists made it
their mission to save it. Charlotte Forsythe and her husband,
Gerald Fandetti, petitioned the City of Cambridge to transform the
former fire station into a boutique hotel. The city agreed, and
sold the building to the couple. In 2000, renovations began to
transform the fire station dormitories into modern guestrooms, and
the firehouse into the hotel’s restaurant. The renovations also
restored the building’s architecture, and the new owners took great
pains to ensure that the fire station’s architectural integrity
remained intact, as evidenced by their meticulous work revitalizing
the building’s iconic cupola. Today, the décor is a creative and
eclectic mix of historic fire station memorabilia and motifs,
Victorian antiques, and contemporary art. The Kendall Hotel was
inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2004.
St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
(1894) St. Louis, Missouri
Former Train Station
On September 1, 1894, St. Louis’s iconic Union Station—the
future St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by
Hilton—opened its doors. Local architect Theodore C. Link led its
design: a magnificent, sprawling complex that stood as a
masterpiece of American architecture. Link planned the Grand Hall
to resemble a passageway inside a medieval castle; the walled
French city of Carcassonne was his inspiration. Ornate details that
can still be seen today proliferated throughout the space, such as
spectacular gold leaf, wide stained-glass windows, and wall
carvings made from Indiana limestone. A stunning, 65-foot-tall,
barrel-vaulted ceiling crested the Grand Hall, anchored by a
beautiful, wrought-iron chandelier. One of the United States’
largest and busiest train terminals at the time, Union Station was
home to 22 railroads and 32 tracks in its heyday. Today, the
transportation complex has undergone a renaissance that restored
and respects its heritage. St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio
Collection by Hilton is at the center of an award-winning family
entertainment destination within the historic Victorian-era train
terminal. The hotel’s guestrooms, meeting and event space, and
Grand Hall have been fully renovated and expanded. Clock Tower
Suites have train-themed décor, and each guestroom door is marked
with the name of a railroad ticketing agent whose offices were once
in that section of the building. The train shed is now the St.
Louis Aquarium at Union Station. Other entertainment at the complex
includes the St. Louis Wheel, carousel, and mini golf. In the Grand
Hall, where visitors can watch a 3D light show, the original
stained glass and ornate plasterwork have been restored. Designated
a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior,
St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton was
inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1991.
The Lodge at the Presidio (1897) and Inn at the
Presidio (1903) and San Francisco, California
Former U.S. Army Housing
Built in the shadow of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, The Lodge
at the Presidio is San Francisco’s nearest hotel to the bridge and
was constructed in 1897. Close by, the historic Inn at the Presidio
has the distinction of being the first hotel to open within the
Presidio of San Francisco, a 1,500-acre national park site, and was
constructed in 1903. These historic destinations are part of
Presidio Lodging and welcome guests today, but they originally
served as accommodations for officers and enlistees in the U.S.
Army. The brick Colonial Revival building that houses the Inn in at
the Presidio, Pershing Hall, was named for General John J. “Black
Jack” Pershing, who served at the Presidio of San Francisco and was
commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France during
World War I. The Lodge at the Presidio was known as Montgomery
Street Barracks and the first unit to occupy it was Battery F of
the Third Artillery Regiment, as well as two companies of infantry
and a troop of cavalry. When it opened, a newspaper wrote that “The
accommodations for the men will be equal to those of a first-class
hotel and contain all the modern improvements for health and
comfort." Working with the Presidio Trust, Presidio Lodging opened
the former military buildings to the public in the 2010s. The
hotels both underwent environmentally sensitive restorations,
adhering to the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Standards for historic
properties and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards.
Most of the buildings' original features—including the exterior,
hardwood floors, doors, light fixtures, and staircases—were
preserved. Guests can learn about the hotels' history through the
curated art collections and historical exhibits at each
location.
Chicago Silversmith Hotel & Suites (1897) Chicago,
Illinois
Former Artisan Workshop and Retail Building
Steps from Chicago’s Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile
shopping district, and cultural attractions like the Art Institute
of Chicago, the Chicago Silversmith Hotel & Suites is located
in the city’s historic Jewelers Row District. Constructed in 1897,
this Romanesque Revival-style skyscraper was originally the
Silversmith Building, and was built as part of a construction boom
that followed an influx of jewelry dealers, designers, wholesalers,
and storefronts to the neighborhood. Two large jewelry
corporations—the Gorham Manufacturing Company and the Benjamin
Allen and Co.—had commissioned the Silversmith Building in 1896,
and hired Peter J. Weber of D.H. Burnham & Company to design
it. Weber designed a spectacular facade that displayed some of the
best architectural motifs in the Loop, incorporating round brick
columns and terra cotta tiling. In addition to the Gorham
Manufacturing Company and Benjamin Allen and Co., the building was
quickly occupied by jewelers. Tenants wanted to work in the central
court that provided ventilation and natural light, which was ideal
for hammering silver and crafting elaborate jewelry designs. In
1995, the hotel’s jewelry tenants moved on, and the hotel was
converted into a beautiful hotel. Two years later, the building was
listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its
architectural and commercial history. Today, this boutique hotel
from the Gilded Age nods to its heritage through lustrous silver
and crystal decor, and offers guests contemporary, spacious
guestrooms featuring 12-foot ceilings. Chicago Silversmith Hotel
& Suites was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in
2016.
The Union Station Nashville Yards (1900) Nashville,
Tennessee
Former Train Station
The Union Station Nashville Yards was originally a train
station, home to the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
Constructed in 1900, the building was once home to a ticket
counter, barber and shoeshine stand, a waiting parlor for ladies, a
carriage entrance where luggage and supplies were dropped off and
brought into the station, a newspaper stand, and an open-air
entrance. Union Station served as Nashville’s primary train station
until passenger service was discontinued in the late 1970s. With
the building facing demolition, the community rallied to preserve
it. Nashville’s “Save Our Station” movement was a success: the U.S.
Secretary of the Interior designated the historic train station as
a National Historic Landmark, and it opened as a hotel in 1986. Its
most recent restoration and renovation was a multimillion-dollar
investment in 2023. Today, many of the station’s original stone,
Richardsonian Romanesque-style architectural and design features
have been preserved. Original features to look for include the
clock tower, adorned with a statue of Mercury, and the lobby’s
limestone fireplace, a popular place for couples to exchange
wedding vows since 1915. The station’s original flooring was
exposed during a recent renovation and can be seen in the lobby
bar. The hotel has also preserved reliefs on the fifth floor, where
this artwork tells the history of human transportation up until
1900. The guestrooms pay homage to the building’s history with
leather belting reminiscent of vintage luggage trunks,
architectural elements inspired by Pullman train cars, antique
burnished brass accents, and designs that combine the prominent Art
Deco style of the station’s heyday in the 1920s with the original
Romanesque Revival-style architecture of the station. Specialty
accommodations include two luxurious suites: the Conductor’s
Presidential Suite and a bachelorette-style suite that draws
inspiration from first-class sleeper cars. The Union Station
Nashville Yards was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in
2015.
The Inn at Diamond Cove (1910) Portland, Maine
Former U.S. Army Fort and Barracks
A beautiful island located in the waters east of Portland,
Maine, The Inn at Diamond Cove has been a fixture on Great Diamond
Island for decades, and many of its historic buildings date to the
early 20th century. The U.S. Army established a military complex
called Fort McKinley in the late 19th century, and in 1910, the
Army Corps of Engineers expanded the fort with barracks, including
a two-story Colonial Revival-style building known as the Double
Barrack. Fort McKinley served as the linchpin for the imposing
Harbor Defenses of Portland for decades, including during both
World Wars. The fort also temporarily lent its munitions to units
serving overseas during World War I, specifically offering some of
its mortars to act as pieces of railroad artillery. Today, the
historic Double Barrack—as well as other buildings like the
Quartermaster’s Storehouse—are part of The Inn at Diamond Cove.
After the fort was decommissioned in the 1960s, the historic
buildings fell into disrepair. It was not until the 1990s that an
entrepreneur came in to restore the fort, transforming it into a
resort community and transforming the Double Barrack into a
boutique hotel and the Quartermaster’s Storehouse into a
restaurant. The Inn at Diamond Cove has been a favorite destination
among Maine’s holiday retreats since. It has also continued to
function as the centerpiece of Great Diamond Island’s resort
community, which has entertained cultural heritage travelers
interested in exploring the area’s rich history. The Inn at Diamond
Cove is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places,
and was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.
JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District (1912)
Savannah, Georgia
Former Power Plant
By the beginning of the 20th century, Savannah, Georgia, emerged
as one of the region’s fastest-growing communities. To meet the
modern city's demands for electricity, Savannah officials
commissioned the development of a sprawling power plant and station
along the Savannah River in 1912. For nearly 100 years, Riverside
Station helped power Savannah. The plant closed in 2005, its future
uncertain, but the Kessler Collection—a collection of hotels known
for their elevation of art and design in hospitality—acquired the
decommissioned power plant in 2012, and invested millions into
transforming the plant into a magnificent hotel. The former power
plant debuted as the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District
in 2020. The exterior retains the power plant's iconic twin
smokestacks and brick exterior, and the interior was repurposed
with the addition of hotel guestrooms, restaurants, shops, and
other mixed-use commercial spaces. “We wanted to maintain as much
of the existing power plant as possible by finding ways to reveal
the history and authenticity of this building,” Diana Kessler,
Creative Director, Kessler Design Studio, said of this adaptive
reuse project. “When a guest experiences the property, there are
many architectural and design details that pull from the history of
the power plant.” Today, films, tours, and history exhibit walls
tell the story of Riverside Station at the hotel. Guests will
discover repurposed steel benches and refinished brick throughout
the property: 575,000 pieces of historic brick from the original
building were cleaned and used in the rehabilitation. At Stone
& Webster Chophouse—named for the plant’s original
architects—guests can dine inside the core of a century-old
smokestack. JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District was
inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2022.
21c Museum Hotel Lexington (1914) Lexington, Kentucky
Former Bank Building
The 21c Museum Hotel Lexington dates to 1914, when the Fayette
National Bank constructed its headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky.
Desiring a grand high-rise, Fayette National Bank hired the
well-known architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to design
its new headquarters. In 2012, 21c Museum Hotels—a hotel collection
known for adapting historic buildings to use as hotels and arts
spaces—acquired the former bank building and hired architectural
firms based in New York and Pittsburgh to adapt the
Beaux-Arts-style bank building into a hotel. The creative team
produced a hotel building that combined contemporary design with
the restoration of the building’s Ionic columns, marble walls,
Tennessee Pink Marble flooring, and vaulted ceilings. 21c Museum
Hotel Lexington opened four years later. Today, the building is
both a luxury hotel and a contemporary art museum, welcoming both
visitors and the local community to enjoy its curated exhibitions
and cultural programming. At the hotel's restaurant, Lockbox, the
Fayette National Bank Building’s original safe deposit vault
remains intact and has been reimagined as an intimate private
dining room for guests to enjoy. Listed in the National Register of
Historic Places, 21c Museum Hotel Lexington was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2019.
Hotel Grinnell (1921) Grinnell, Iowa
Former Junior High School
Built in 1921, Hotel Grinnell was originally the Grinnell Junior
High School. Designed by the prominent Des Moines-based
architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, the Classical
Revival-style building lived its first life as a public school,
part of a larger complex of school buildings. After the school
closed in 1978 and much of the complex was demolished, the
surviving junior high school building served as a municipal office
building for the city. In the early-21st century, an ambitious
entrepreneur invested in the building. Meticulously restored and
redesigned, Hotel Grinnell was reborn in 2017 as a modern,
eco-conscious boutique hotel, as well as a dining and event
destination. The boutique hotel seamlessly weaves its history into
every guest's experience, ensuring an unforgettable stay. The front
desk was the principal’s office in 1921, and guestrooms are the
building’s former classrooms, with original maple hardwood floors
and lofty ceilings. Guests receive room keys designed as "hall
passes," can review a "primer” detailing the many amenities at the
hotel, and are given a necktie to use as the “do not disturb” door
hanger. The school’s theater, now an event venue, has a soaring
coffered ceiling which was painstakingly restored to its former
drama, and a grand staircase that leads up to the hotel’s luxury
penthouse suite, originally the dressing room above the stage.
Periodic Table, the hotel's restaurant, offers signature cocktails
with names like Lunch Lady, Prom Queen, and First Crush. The
school’s old locker rooms are now bunk rooms with 10 beds
each—designed for big families, wedding parties, or children's
slumber parties—and some of the original wood locker room benches
are found throughout the hotel. Historic Hotel Grinnell was
inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.
Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection (1923)
Asheville, North Carolina
Former Department Store
The historic Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection was
built in 1923 to provide Asheville, North Carolina with a larger
downtown location for its luxury department store, Bon Marché.
Asheville’s new Bon Marché location was famous for attracting
dignitaries and celebrities from around the world when it opened.
During the Roaring Twenties, downtown Asheville saw flappers,
speakeasies, Prohibition violations, and the popular dance of the
time, the Charleston. The Bon Marché offered sophisticated fashion
options to locals and visitors alike. Another luxury department
store, Ivey’s, took over the building decades later, and operated
there until 1975. The building’s second life was realized in 1985
when—after significant renovations and careful attention to details
in the restoration—a Classical Revival-style hotel opened its doors
to welcome Asheville visitors. Combining the iconic heritage of
Asheville’s first department store with a beautiful, modern
boutique hotel, the Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection,
honors its rich heritage through its hospitality and style. Guests
are encouraged to explore the hotel lobby, which displays a vintage
1929 Ford Model A and historic photographs from the same era—as
well as mannequins donning historic fashions and accoutrements that
would not look out of place at Bon Marché a century ago. Haywood
Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection was inducted into Historic
Hotels of America in 2011.
The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton
Hotel (1924) San Antonio, Texas
Former Medical Arts Building
In 1924, real estate developer Clifton George and architect
Ralph Cameron decided that the prosperous, growing city of San
Antonio needed a medical arts building. Medical arts buildings were
a new concept for the era, a large building for doctors and other
medical professionals to practice their various specialties. Rival
cities like Dallas and Houston had their own medical arts
buildings, inspiring George and Cameron to invest in a triangular
plot of land near the historic Alamo. Two years later, the medical
arts building—the future Emily Morgan San Antonio – a DoubleTree by
Hilton Hotel—opened. It debuted as a 13-story skyscraper, the
tallest building in the city at the time, adorned with Gothic
Revival-style motifs. Cameron had masterfully incorporated many
Gothic-inspired architectural elements throughout his design,
including a steeply pitched mansard roof, terra cotta detailing,
and a chateau-inspired corner tower. Perhaps the most notable
Gothic architectural features are the façade’s gargoyles, many of
them posing to show a series of ailments. The building was a
success for many decades, and it received a new lease on life when
it was acquired by hoteliers in 1984. They restored and renovated
the building, and converted the building into a hotel. It was named
The Emily Morgan Hotel as an homage to the legend of Emily Morgan,
a woman who, according to the legend, helped the Texans win the
Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 by seducing Santa Anna. Today, The
Emily Morgan San Antonio – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, provides
its guests with some of the city’s best hospitality and proximity
to the Alamo. Not only have guests continued to find its charming
guestrooms to be among the finest in the city, but they have also
enjoyed its proximity to prominent historical attractions like the
Alamo. The Emily Morgan San Antonio – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of
the Alamo Plaza Historic District, and it was inducted into
Historic Hotels of America in 2015.
Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue (1926) New Orleans,
Louisiana
Former Masonic Temple
In New Orleans, Louisiana, the history of the Hilton New
Orleans/St. Charles Avenue can be traced directly to the founding
of the state’s first Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in
1845. Louisiana’s Freemasons established their headquarters,
abandoned it, and then returned in the 1890s. After their third
attempt at a Masonic Temple failed to come to fruition in the
late-19th century due to poor planning, there was renewed interest
in building a permanent home for their lodge. Interest turned into
action after World War I, and Masonic leadership commissioned the
construction of a new Masonic Temple. The grand building debuted as
a stunning 18 story, 100,000 sq ft skyscraper with three elegant
ballrooms, a 1,000-seat theater, and a sprawling ceremonial chamber
called the Grand Chapel. The architect pulled inspiration from the
previous temple’s Gothic-inspired eclectic style, albeit in a more
modern, nuanced form. Perhaps the most magnificent component of the
building’s overall appearance was the mixture of antique cypress
and pine that were used for the interior walls. The Grand Lodge of
Free and Accepted Masons occupied the building until 1992, when the
lodge moved, and the Masons sold the building to hoteliers. After
surviving Hurricane Katrina, the hotel was restored and
reintroduced to the city as the Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles
Avenue. Today, the hotel offers event space in the historic Grand
Chapel, a beautiful event space with restored hand-carved wood
ceiling details, colorful stained-glass windows, and original light
fixtures. At the hotel restaurant, Luke, guests can enjoy a
relaxing atmosphere among the historic carved-wood bar, hardwood
floors, and vintage metal-panel ceiling. Hilton New Orleans/St.
Charles Avenue was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in
2015.
21c Museum Hotel St. Louis (1926) St. Louis, Missouri
Former YMCA
21c Museum Hotel St. Louis is a beautiful surviving example of
early Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) architecture, as
directed by the organization’s Building Bureau. Nearly a century
before the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis opened its doors to guests,
the building was known as the Downtown YMCA Building. Constructed
in 1926 for St. Louis, Missouri’s new YMCA branch, the building
served local members of the YMCA. The St. Louis YMCA was designed,
in large part, by two noted St. Louis-based architects, Louis
LaBeaume and Eugene S. Klein, who worked with the input and
approval of the national YMCA’s Building Bureau. The Building
Bureau was formed in 1915 to ensure architectural uniformity for
every official YMCA location in the early 20th century, and they
instructed the architects to include rooms for athletic activities
and short-term housing. LaBeaume and Klein met those requirements,
and also added their own touches, which can be seen in many of the
building’s intricate details and Renaissance Revival-style
architecture. By the 21st century, the YMCA had moved out of the
building, and the building fell into disrepair. In 2018, help came
in the form of entrepreneurial real estate developers, who invested
in the historic structure and hired architects to transform it into
a boutique hotel and art gallery. The developers preserved the
building’s architectural integrity, ensuring that its heritage
remained intact for future generations to appreciate. In its new
life, the building kept its community-centered roots by providing a
space where travelers and locals can come together to experience
contemporary art exhibitions, local cultural programming, and
shared meals. Many aspects of the building’s original architecture
can be seen today. On the lower level, the YMCA lap pool has been
restored and renovated as part of the Locust Street Athletic Club,
where guests and members can admire the intricate tilework. On the
second floor, the former basketball court retains its distinct
style and flooring, but it is now used as event and exhibition
space for the property’s innovative contemporary art programming.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, 21c
Museum Hotel St. Louis was inducted into Historic Hotels of America
in 2023.
Hotel Warner (1930) West Chester, Pennsylvania
Former Movie Theater
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, communities and studios
invested in opulent theaters across the United States to show the
latest form of entertainment: motion pictures. In 1930, Warner
Bros. Pictures selected West Chester, Pennsylvania, to be the
location for a magnificent Warner Theater, a 1,650-seat venue that
included the auditorium, as well as a restaurant and shops. The
Warner Theater in West Chester was designed by the architectural
firm Rapp & Rapp of Chicago, one of the leading designers of
early-20th-century movie palaces. Rapp & Rapp famously designed
over 400 movie theaters, including the Majestic Theater in Dubuque,
Iowa (1910), the Chicago Theatre (1921) and Oriental Theatre in
Chicago (1926), and the Paramount Theatre both in New York (1926)
and Aurora, Illinois (1931). The design included a magnificent
two-story foyer and a three-story tower that supported the marquee.
The Warner Theater opened in 1930 with a screening of The Life of
the Party, a musical comedy starring Winnie Lightner. The theater
closed in 1984, and efforts to preserve the building were
incomplete: the historic façade and lobby areas survived, but the
auditorium was demolished. Investors acquired the building in the
early-21st century and restored the historic portions of the Warner
Theater while constructing a complementary hotel tower behind it.
Hotel Warner opened its doors in 2012. Today, the original theater
lobby, with its ornate period staircase, is now a gorgeous Art
Deco-style hotel lobby, and a new tower behind the historic theater
offers luxurious guestrooms. The Marquee Bar and Lounge serves
craft beers, wine, and signature cocktails. Hotel Warner is
centrally located, close to the town’s restaurants and boutiques,
and it is the only hotel in the historic downtown area. Hotel
Warner was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2016.
The Graylyn Estate (1932) Winston-Salem, North
Carolina
Former Family Home
The Graylyn Estate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was built
in 1932 to be the country estate of Bowman and Nathalie Gray. With
over 60 rooms, it was one of the largest private homes in North
Carolina at the time. Hiring a young architect named Luther Snow
Lashmit, the Grays established a magnificent estate, located on
more than 85 acres, that blended Norman, Gothic, Renaissance, and
Classical architectural styles. Nathalie and her sons gifted the
estate to Wake Forest University in 1946, and in 1984, the
university’s Board of Trustees agreed to transform the estate into
a boutique hotel and conference center. Today, guests of Graylyn
Estate have the rare opportunity to eat, sleep, and play in the
home's original spaces. Guests can dine in the home's original
Adam-style dining room, and can play chess, read, or work remotely
in the Gray family’s original library, which is still adorned with
rare French wood-paneling installed by the Gray family. Many
guestrooms are in the family’s original sleeping quarters,
including Mr. Gray's Room and Mrs. Gray's Room. Many special events
and receptions are held in The Atlantis Room, the sea-themed space
of the home's original indoor pool. Guests may add a guided history
tour to their stays. Many of the historic public spaces are open to
guests throughout their stay. Self-guided tours of the estate are
available through a photographic timeline in the lobby, or by
picking up a copy of A Story of Graylyn to read. The Graylyn Estate
was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2016.
“Historic hotels preserve the past to serve the present, making
them a beacon of sustainability, as well as fantastic destinations
for solo travelers searching for new experiences, couples in need
of a romantic getaway, and families setting out to make lifelong
memories,” said Lawrence P. Horwitz, Executive Vice President,
Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “Historic
Hotels of America applauds forward-thinking investors and hoteliers
who see potential in historic buildings, as well as the guests who
choose to stay at historic hotels. At Historic Hotels of America,
the 'people saving places’ are the guests, hotel staff, and the
hotels’ communities, who support these special places throughout
the year.”
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing,
celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United
States of America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was
chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic
Preservation is leading the movement to save places where our
history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in
this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old;
designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National
Historic Landmark, or listed in or eligible for listing in the
National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having
historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels
inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 45 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels
faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place,
and architectural integrity.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240523932673/en/
Katherine Orr Historic Hotels of America® │ Historic Hotels
Worldwide® Director, Marketing Strategy and Communications Tel:
+1-202-772-8337 korr@historichotels.org