Battery Park Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Battery Park Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Second Battery Park Hotel (1924)
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Battle Sq., Asheville, North Carolina |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Stoddart, W.L. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000990 |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1977 |
The Battery Park Hotel is a famous building in Asheville, North Carolina. Actually, there have been two hotels with this name! The one you see today is 14 stories tall. It was built in 1924 by Edwin W. Grove. This was when many people started visiting the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. The new hotel replaced an older one, which was 125 feet tall and built in the Queen Anne style. The hotel got its name because Confederate soldiers once used this spot for their big cannons, called artillery batteries.
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History of the Battery Park Hotel
The First Hotel: A Grand Beginning
The very first Battery Park Hotel was built in 1886. Colonel Frank Coxe was the person who built it. An architect from Philadelphia named Edward Hazlehurst designed it. He made it in a really impressive Queen Anne style.
This hotel was very modern for its time. It was the first hotel in the South to have an electric elevator. It was also one of the first to have electric lights.
Asheville Becomes a Popular Place
The railroad came to Asheville in 1880. This made it much easier for people to visit. Soon, about 20 passenger trains arrived each day. People from big cities discovered what a wonderful place Asheville was.
Many people visited Asheville for its clean mountain air. This air was thought to help with health problems. Because of this, many fancy hotels were built. Colonel Coxe's Battery Park Hotel was considered the best. Its spot on Asheville's tallest hill gave guests amazing views.
Famous Guests and New Plans
Many important families stayed at the Battery Park Hotel. These included the Rockefeller and Lorillard families. Another famous guest was George Vanderbilt. From his hotel window, he could see the land where his famous Biltmore Estate would later be built.
By 1920, the old hotel had changed owners several times. In 1921, Edwin Wiley Grove bought the Battery Park. He was also known for building the Grove Park Inn. Grove decided the old hotel needed to be replaced.
Building the New Hotel
People were sad to see the old Battery Park Hotel torn down. But Grove wanted to build a new, modern hotel. He felt the old building was "outgrowing its period of usefulness." The new hotel would be a first-class place for business travelers, not just a resort.
The architect for the new hotel was William Lee Stoddart from New York City. He designed the 220-room Battery Park Hotel that stands today. The building was made with strong reinforced concrete, brick, limestone, and terra cotta. It had a Mission Revival roof with a dining area. The style mixed Neoclassical and "Spanish romanticism."
The Hotel Today
The hotel closed its doors on October 30, 1972. In 1979, Billy Shadrick took over the building. He kept the historic outside look. He used special tax credits to help with preservation. The building was then changed into apartments for senior citizens.
Today, National Church Residences owns the building. There are also businesses on the first floor. The Battery Park Hotel is an important part of the Downtown Asheville Historic District.
