Baldwin Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Baldwin Hotel
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 Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | 31 Main Street Klamath Falls, Oregon |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1905 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001576 |
| Added to NRHP | October 2, 1973 |
The Baldwin Hotel is a historic building in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It was built in 1905 and became a hotel in 1911. Today, it is a museum where you can explore the past!
George Baldwin first built the building as a hardware store. But he soon saw a chance to make money from the railroad coming to town. So, he turned it into a hotel. George thought the railroad would come right across from his building. But it ended up on the other side of Main Street.
Even so, the hotel was built with some cool features. The land was rocky, so they carved into the basalt rock. This made a super strong foundation. Also, almost all the rooms were connected. This meant people could rent one room or a whole group of rooms. George thought people might want an office and an apartment all connected. It was also the first building in town to have indoor plumbing in every room. This was even before running water was available in 1908!
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History of the Baldwin Hotel
George and Josephine Baldwin started their family in Klamath Falls. Their daughter, Maud Baldwin, born in 1878, became a well-known businesswoman and photographer. Their sons also became successful in business. George Baldwin himself served in government for a few years. He passed away in 1920.
After George's death, Maud took care of her mother and the hotel. It was a lot of work for her. In 1923, Maud sold the hotel to Andrew and Cordelia Moore. She passed away in 1926.
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The Moores ran the hotel until 1951. Then, they retired and gave the hotel to their daughter, Vera Moore Jones, and her husband, Mart Jones. In its later years, the hotel became a place where many older gentlemen lived. One of them was Herbert Ballard. He lived in the same room for 51 years! Mr. Ballard was an accountant for the many lumber companies in the area. He lived at the Baldwin Hotel under all three owners. The Jones family even invited him to spend holidays with them.
The Jones family closed the hotel in 1971. The building was getting old and needed many repairs. It also needed updates to meet fire safety rules. It was too expensive to fix everything, so the hotel had to close.
Saving the Historic Baldwin Hotel
The hotel was almost torn down! But a group of people in Klamath Falls cared deeply about the building. They worked together to save it. Because of their efforts, Klamath County bought the property. They also bought everything inside it. This included the original brass beds, dressers, and old-fashioned bathtubs. These items showed the long history of the building and the people who lived there.
Nell Kuonen, a former County Commissioner, helped a lot with this project. Thanks to her, the hotel was saved.
The Baldwin Hotel Museum Today
The Baldwin Hotel is now a museum! It is run by Klamath County Museums. You can visit the museum from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. They also offer special tours during the Halloween season.
You can take one- or two-hour tours. These tours show you all four floors of the building. It's a great way to learn about the hotel's history and the history of Klamath Falls. The museum has many items that people have donated over the years. These items help tell unique stories about different topics. You can learn about sports, childcare, fashion, and even how people did laundry long ago. There are also displays about Victorian life, cooking, music, shopping, and health care. The museum even has movie theater items that belonged to the Moore and Jones families. They used to own movie theaters in other towns nearby.
See also
