Coates House Hotel facts for kids
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Coates House Hotel
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Coates House Hotel in 2015
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| Built | 1886–1891 |
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| Built by | C. E. Clark |
| Architect | Van Brunt & Howe |
| Restored | 1984–1987 |
| Restored by | McCormack Baron Salazar |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000715 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
| Designated | Building |
The Coates House Hotel is a famous building in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It used to be a hotel, but now it's an apartment building. It's so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel was built between 1889 and 1891, using parts of an even older hotel. In 1978, a big fire sadly damaged it. But it was later fixed up and brought back to life!
The First Hotel Building
The very first hotel on this spot was planned in 1857. It was designed by John Johnson, an English architect who later became the third mayor of Kansas City. This hotel was part of a new area being built on land owned by Kersey Coates. This area is now called Quality Hill.
- The building was not finished when the Civil War started.
- During the war, Union soldiers used the unfinished foundations for a cavalry camp.
The hotel was finally built in the late 1860s. It was first called the Broadway Hotel. It was owned by Colonel Shalor Winchell Eldridge, who was against slavery. He was known for rebuilding his other hotel, the Eldridge House, three times after it was attacked. The Broadway Hotel was a five-story brick building.
- In 1870, Kersey Coates bought the hotel.
- He renamed it the Coates House.
- Coates had also built an opera house nearby. Both buildings helped the area become a wealthy neighborhood.
- In 1886, Coates started adding a new part to the hotel.
- President Grover Cleveland and his wife, Frances, stayed there in 1887.
The New Coates House Hotel
Kersey Coates passed away in 1887. His family then decided to tear down the original hotel. They rebuilt it on the same spot, making it much bigger. This new building is what we see today.
- The new hotel was designed by Van Brunt & Howe.
- It has six stories and is made of brick with fancy stone decorations.
- President Benjamin Harrison stayed in the new part of the hotel in 1890, even before it was fully finished.
- The New Coates House Hotel officially opened on January 10, 1891.
The hotel was very fancy inside. It had a beautiful marble staircase. Guests could enjoy many services, including a barber shop and a flower shop. For many years, it was a very popular and important hotel.
- Many famous people stayed there.
- These included Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
- Other famous guests were actor Edwin Booth and writer Oscar Wilde.
- Because so many presidents stayed there, it was nicknamed "the hotel of the presidents."
Fire and Restoration
By 1978, the hotel was not as grand as it used to be. Many people living there were older or just staying for short periods. On January 28, 1978, a fire started in one of the rooms around 4:00 AM.
- About 140 people were living in the hotel at the time.
- More than 100 people lost their homes.
- Sadly, 20 people died in the fire. Many jumped from the upper floors to escape.
- This fire is still the deadliest fire in Kansas City's history.
After the fire, the building was badly damaged. In 1979, a group called Historic Kansas City Foundation bought the ruined hotel. Then, in 1984, a company named McCormack Baron Salazar bought it.
- They worked to fix up the building.
- They turned it into apartments for people with middle and high incomes.
- The outside of the building was finished in 1987.
- In 2009, a special plaque honoring Kersey Coates was put back on the building.
Some people say that the building might even be haunted!
