Crescent Hotel (Eureka Springs, Arkansas) facts for kids
The Crescent Hotel is a famous old hotel located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It first opened its doors in 1886. Many people know it as "America's most haunted hotel" because of the many ghost stories told about it. You can even take a special ghost tour there! The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa is also a member of Historic Hotels of America, which means it's recognized as an important historical building.
Contents
History of the Crescent Hotel
Early Days and Changes
The Crescent Hotel was built in 1886. It was meant to be a fancy vacation spot for wealthy and well-known people. However, it soon became difficult to manage and started to fall into disrepair.
In 1908, the building got a new purpose. It reopened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women. This school closed down in 1924. Then, in 1930, it opened again as a junior college. After the college closed in 1934, the Crescent was rented out as a summer hotel.
Norman Baker's Health Resort
In 1937, the hotel got a new owner named Norman G. Baker. He changed the place into a "hospital" and health resort. Baker was a rich inventor and a radio personality. He claimed to be a doctor, but he had no real medical training. He said he had found "cures" for different sicknesses, including cancer.
Baker had been stopped from practicing medicine in Iowa. So, he moved his patients to Arkansas and advertised his new health resort at the Crescent. His main "cure" involved drinking the natural spring water from the area. In 1940, legal action was taken against Baker for selling fake cures. He spent four years in prison. The Crescent Hotel was left without an owner until 1946.
New Owners and Restoration
In the spring of 1946, a group of people bought the Crescent Hotel. They were John R. Constantine, Herbert E. Shutter, Herbert Byfield, and Dwight Nichols. On March 15, 1967, the hotel almost burned down in a big fire. At that time, Dwight Nichols was the only living owner.
In 1997, Marty and Elise Roenigk bought the Crescent Hotel for $1.3 million. They spent six years carefully restoring and renovating the hotel rooms. Marty Roenigk passed away in a car accident in 2009. Elise Roenigk is still the owner of the hotel today.
The building was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
See also
In Spanish: Crescent Hotel (Eureka Springs, Arkansas) para niños
