Dallas Hilton facts for kids
|
Hilton Hotel
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
Hilton building in 2010
|
|
 Hilton Hotel
Location in Texas
Hilton Hotel
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1933 Main St., Dallas, Texas |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1925 |
| Built by | McKenzie Const. |
| Architect | Lang and Witchell |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Part of | Dallas Downtown Historic District (ID04000894) |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003092 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | December 5, 1985 |
| Designated CP | August 11, 2006 |
The Dallas Hilton is a famous old building in downtown Dallas, Texas, USA. It is located at the corner of Main Street and S. Harwood Street. Today, it operates as the Dallas Hotel Indigo. This historic hotel is an important part of the Harwood Street Historic District and the Main Street District. It is also right across from Main Street Garden Park.
Contents
The Story of the Dallas Hilton Hotel
How the Hilton Hotel Began
The Hilton Hotel was built in 1925 for a man named Conrad Hilton. This was his very first hotel to be called "Hilton." Conrad Hilton became a world-famous hotel owner. He created a huge international chain of hotels and resorts.
Before this, Conrad Hilton usually bought old hotels and fixed them up. But for the Dallas Hilton, he decided to build a brand new hotel from scratch. He wanted it to be a tall, important building.
Hilton chose the highest spot in downtown Dallas for his new hotel. He hired a well-known architecture firm called Lang and Witchell. They designed the hotel to be 14 stories tall. It was made of strong concrete and brick. The style was a simpler version of Beaux Arts design.
The building had a unique horseshoe shape. It had two large towers facing Harwood Street. These towers created an open space in the middle. The towers were connected at the front entrance and by a fancy bridge on the 10th floor.
Construction started on July 25, 1924. The hotel was finished just over a year later. It cost about $1.36 million to build. This made it Hilton's second most expensive tall building in Texas. The hotel officially opened its doors on Thursday, August 6, 1925.
Conrad Hilton wanted to make the most of all the space inside the hotel. He added many different shops and services. There was a drug store, a men's shop, a barber shop, and a beauty shop. You could also find a coffee shop, a tailor, and a newsstand. These services made guests happy and helped the hotel earn more money.
Hilton also came up with a new idea for Texas. Instead of buying the land, he decided to lease it for 99 years. This idea was common in other parts of the country but new to Texas at the time.
Hilton's own offices were on the mezzanine floor. The hotel had 325 guest rooms. Most rooms had their own bathrooms. The rooms were usually small and decorated in light colors. They were designed to get lots of sunlight and fresh air.
At the time, there were other fancy hotels nearby, like the Adolphus and Baker Hotels. Hilton wanted to attract "The Average Man." He offered a modern, good-looking hotel at a fair price. This made the Dallas Hilton a popular choice for many people.
Changes Over the Years
During the Great Depression, a tough time for the economy, Hilton lost some of his hotels. But he managed to save the Dallas Hilton. In 1938, he stopped running the Dallas Hilton. The owner, George Loudermilk, hired another hotel manager named A. C. "Jack" White.
Jack White changed the hotel's name to the White Plaza. He also spent $150,000 to make improvements. This included making the air conditioning better. The hotel's 325 rooms were changed into 234 rooms, all with private bathrooms. George Loudermilk lived at the hotel until he passed away in 1953.
In 1961, the building was sold to Earlee Hotels. But it kept the name White Plaza until 1974. During these years, the hotel started to get old and less popular.
Bringing the Hotel Back to Life
In 1977, a real estate investor named Opal Sebastian bought the building. She changed its name to the Plaza. Many of the upper floors had been closed for a long time. The rooms were in bad shape. Opal Sebastian worked to fix up the rooms and reopened the floors one by one.
On February 15, 1985, the hotel was sold again. New owners from California, called Dallas Plaza Partners, took over. They hired Corgan Architects Associates to restore the hotel. Jerry O'Hara was hired to renovate the inside. This work took ten months.
In December 1985, the hotel reopened as The Dallas Plaza Hotel. Later, it was renamed The Aristocrat Hotel of Dallas and was managed by Holiday Inn.
The building was recognized as a special historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and named a Dallas Landmark in 1985. It was also given the title of a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1988.
The Hotel Today
In 2006, InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns Holiday Inn, changed the hotel again. It became the Hotel Indigo Dallas Downtown. The inside of the hotel got a big makeover, costing $5 million. They added wooden floors and modern bathrooms. A business center and an improved fitness area were also added.
Today, the hotel has 169 rooms. It also has about 3,000 square feet (279 square meters) of space for meetings and events.
See also
In Spanish: Dallas Hilton para niños
