Androy Hotel facts for kids
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Androy Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Androy Hotel viewed from the northwest
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 592 E. Howard Street, Hibbing, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1921 |
| Built by | Charles F. Haglin & Sons |
| Architect | Spencer S. Rumsey |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Part of | East Howard Street Commercial Historic District (ID93000255) |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001290 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1986 |
| Designated CP | April 1, 1993 |
The Androy Hotel was once a very important hotel in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA. It was built in 1921 by the Oliver Iron Mining Company. This company helped move the entire city of Hibbing! They needed more space for a huge iron mine. The hotel was meant to be a main building in the city's new downtown area. It was designed in a fancy style called Renaissance Revival. The Androy Hotel is so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it's a historic building worth protecting.
Why the Hotel Was Built
Hibbing started as a company town in the 1890s. It was built right next to a rich supply of iron ore. People soon realized that even more ore was under the town itself. So, in 1919, the Oliver Iron Mining Company decided to move the whole city.
They moved Hibbing about a mile south. The company actually picked up and moved 185 houses and 20 business buildings! They also paid for new buildings to be built. These new buildings were along a street called East Howard Street. The company would then sell or rent them out.
The Androy Hotel was designed by Spencer S. Rumsey. He was the main engineer for the mining company. The hotel was meant to be a key building in the new downtown. It looked very grand and was twice as tall as most other buildings nearby.
What the Hotel Looked Like
The Androy Hotel is a four-story building. It is made of brick with special stone trim. This stone is called Indiana Limestone. The front of the hotel faces East Howard Street and looks flat.
But the sides of the building are interesting. They have three parts that stick out. This makes the hotel look like two capital "E" letters placed back-to-back.
Inside, the hotel had 142 guest rooms. It also had a public dining room for everyone. There were three smaller, private dining rooms too. The hotel had reception rooms for welcoming guests. It also had "sample rooms." These were places where traveling salespeople could show off their products.
The hotel also had space for businesses and offices to rent. The Hibbing Chamber of Commerce was an early renter. The local Red Cross also had offices there.
Hotel History
The Quigley–Doran Hotel Company managed the Androy Hotel. The name "Androy" came from the first names of two officers: Andrew Doran and Roy Quigley. The hotel officially opened on June 30, 1921.
The Androy was a very important place in Hibbing. It offered rooms for visitors from out of town. But it also hosted many of the city's business, political, and social events. This went on for about 50 years.
Later in the 20th century, the iron ore industry started to slow down. This made the local economy weaker. Because of this, the Androy Hotel went out of business. It closed on November 30, 1977.
The Androy building was empty for 14 years. The city even thought about tearing it down. But the people of Hibbing wanted to save this historic building. Their efforts worked! A project to fix up the hotel started in 1994. A company called Brighton Development Corporation updated the old building. They turned it into a place with both businesses and apartments for older adults.
