Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bigelow–Ben Lomond Hotel
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Ben Lomond Suites Historic Hotel
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 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2510 Washington Blvd., Ogden, Utah |
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| Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Hodgson & McClenahan; Whitmeyer, George & Sons |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Italian Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000637 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1990 |
The Bigelow Hotel is a famous building located at 2510 Washington Boulevard in Ogden, Utah, United States. It first opened its doors in 1927. For many years, from 1933 to 2017, it was known as the Ben Lomond Hotel. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It is known for its beautiful Italian Renaissance Revival style and for important events that took place there. Today, the building is called The Bigelow Apartments.
Contents
A Grand Hotel's Story
The Bigelow Hotel first opened in 1927. Since then, it has always been the largest hotel in Ogden. It is considered one of Utah's three "grand hotels." The other two were the former Hotel Utah and the Newhouse Hotel, which is no longer standing.
Before the Bigelow Hotel, another hotel called the Reed Hotel stood on the same spot. A local businessman named A. Peery decided to build a new, modern hotel there. A group of about 300 people worked together to help fund and manage the project. The hotel was originally named after a local banker, Archie P. Bigelow.
Designing a Masterpiece
The famous architectural company Hodgson & McClenahan designed the hotel. They were known for many other beautiful buildings in Ogden. Some of their other projects include Peery's Egyptian Theatre and Ogden High School. Building the Bigelow Hotel cost about $1,250,000 in 1927. That was a very large amount of money back then!
The hotel is a great example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. This style was popular in the 1920s. The building shows how much Ogden grew and developed during that time. The outside of the building has a special finish called terra cotta. It is highly decorated, especially on the sides facing 25th Street and Washington Boulevard.
Inside the Hotel
Inside the Bigelow Hotel, each room had a unique style. There was a coffee shop designed in an Arabic style. The ballroom looked like a fancy Florentine Palace. A meeting room for business clubs had an old Spanish feel. The English Room used old wood panels, inspired by a room in Bromley Palace, England. The Georgian Room was decorated in the Adamesque style. But the most special room was the Shakespeare Room. It had beautiful murals painted by a local artist named LeConte Stewart.
A Place for Important Events
The Bigelow Hotel became nationally famous in 1928. It hosted the Western Democrats convention. This meeting helped show that Alfred E. Smith would be a strong candidate for president in the 1928 election. The event was even covered in the October 3, 1927, issue of Time magazine.
Marriner S. Eccles bought the Bigelow Hotel in 1933. He then renamed it the Ben Lomond Hotel. It continued to be a working hotel for over 40 years. Different owners, including Weber County, used the building for various purposes, including offices. Radisson bought the hotel in the 1980s and updated it. In 2017, after more than 80 years, the hotel returned to its original name. In 2019, the building was changed into an apartment complex. This made it the last of Utah's three "grand hotels" to stop being a hotel.
