Dacres Hotel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dacres Hotel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Dacres Hotel
Location in Washington (state)
Location	4th and Main streets Walla Walla, Washington
Built	1873 (1873), 1899 (1899)
Architect	Bennes, Hendricks & Tobey (1907 remodel)
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	74001984
Added to NRHP	November 5, 1974

The Dacres Hotel is a historic building in Walla Walla, Washington, United States. It was rebuilt in 1899 from the ruins of the Stine House, which was Walla Walla's first brick hotel. The building has an Italianate style. It is special because it has a unique front made of pre-fabricated cast iron. This was built by the Mesker Brothers company.

Architects Bennes, Hendricks & Tobey remodeled the building in 1907. The Dacres Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1974. It stopped being a hotel in 1959. Today, the ground floor is a place called 'The Dacres' where people can enjoy live music and events. The upper floors are not currently used.

History

The Stine House

Frederick Stine was born in 1825 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He learned the blacksmith trade from his father. In 1852, Frederick traveled west to California. He arrived in Walla Walla, Washington, in May 1862. He had very little money, but he managed to buy a piece of land.

Frederick built a small blacksmith shop. His business did very well because many miners and travelers needed their wagons fixed. He also worked for the cavalry at Fort Walla Walla. By 1872, Frederick Stine had become quite wealthy.

He decided to build a large, three-story brick building. At first, it was planned as an office building. But soon, the plans changed to a hotel. The bricks came from Oregon. The windows were made in France and shipped all the way around Cape Horn.

The hotel opened in August 1873. It was called the Stine House. It was the first three-story brick building in Walla Walla. With 50 rooms, it was the largest hotel in Washington Territory. The building had a simple Italianate design. It featured special window arches and a wooden balcony. Frederick Stine never ran the hotel himself. He continued his blacksmith business.

The Stine House quickly became a popular place in town. It was a stopping point for major stage lines. It even offered free carriage service to the train station. Many important people stayed there. One famous guest was President Rutherford B. Hayes. He visited in October 1880 with his wife, Lucy Webb Hayes, and General William Tecumseh Sherman.

In 1882, the hotel was made even bigger. It doubled in size to 100 rooms. This made it even more impressive.

However, on July 23, 1892, a fire started in a nearby restaurant. The fire spread and badly damaged the Stine House. Luckily, everyone escaped safely. The building was left as an empty ruin for many years. This was partly because of an economic downturn called the Panic of 1893.

The Dacres Hotel

In 1899, a group of investors bought the burnt Stine House. This group was led by George Dacres and his son, James E. Dacres. They decided to rebuild the hotel. They also made it even larger.

The entire front of the building on Main Street was rebuilt. It featured a special pre-fabricated cast iron facade. This was made by the Mesker Brothers company in St. Louis, Missouri. It was shipped to Walla Walla by train. This is still the largest Mesker facade in Washington State. A beautiful wrought iron balcony was added to the second floor.

The hotel's lobby was decorated in a fancy way. It had red carpet, oak furniture, and a grand piano. The rooms were also very comfortable. They even came with a free pitcher of ice water. The hotel offered a large restaurant, a barber shop, and a Turkish Bath. Later, a first-class bar and a grill room with live music were added.

The new hotel officially opened on November 1, 1899. It was named the Dacres Hotel. It quickly became Walla Walla's best hotel again. Because it was close to the Keylor Grand Opera House, many famous performers stayed there. These included Louisa May Alcott, John Philip Sousa, Harry Lauder, and Al Jolson.

In 1905, the hotel had another fire inside. It was caused by an electrical fan. But the hotel stayed open while repairs were made. In 1907, the manager hired architects Bennes, Hendricks & Tobey to remodel the hotel. They planned big changes, but only some interior remodeling was completed. The hotel reopened on April 1, 1908.

Another president visited the hotel in 1911. This was President William Howard Taft.

By the 1920s, many newer hotels opened in Walla Walla. The Dacres Hotel became a mid-range hotel. It housed road crews, railroad workers, and farm workers. The Dacres family sold the hotel in 1921. Over the years, some parts of the building's top were removed. However, the outside of the Dacres Hotel still looks much like it did in 1899. It was saved from changes that affected many other old buildings in the 1950s and 60s.

The hotel closed its doors on May 25, 1959. In 1966, most of the hotel's furniture and items were sold at a public auction.

For many years, the building was mostly empty. Only a few small businesses were on the ground floor. In 1974, the hotel was recognized as a state and national landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 1974. It was only the second building in the county to receive this honor.

In 1982, Robert Finch bought the building. He began to restore the ground floor. In 2013, the ground floor became a performing arts venue called Main Street Studios. It closed a few years later. In 2018, the venue was reopened as "The Dacres." It now hosts live music and other events.

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