Hotel Jefferson (St. Louis, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hotel Jefferson
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 Location in St. Louis
Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 415 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1904, 1928 |
| Architect | Barnett, Haynes & Barnett |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 03001066 |
| Added to NRHP | October 24, 2003 |
The Jefferson Arms Building is a very old and important building in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It first opened in 1904 as the Hotel Jefferson. It was built just in time for a big event called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the World's Fair. The hotel was named after Thomas Jefferson, a famous American president.
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A Grand Opening for the World's Fair
The first part of the building was designed by architects Barnett, Haynes & Barnett. It was built in a style called Classical Revival, which means it looked like old Greek and Roman buildings. It had cool decorations made from a material called terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay.
The Hotel Jefferson first opened its doors on April 2, 1904, for a special charity party. This party was held by groups like the Daughters of the Confederacy. The hotel then welcomed its first overnight guests on April 29, 1904. This was just one day before the big World's Fair began!
Hosting Important Events
The Hotel Jefferson quickly became a popular spot for important meetings. The Democratic National Convention was held at the hotel twice. This is where the Democratic Party chooses its candidate for president. These big meetings happened in 1904 and again in 1916.
Growing Bigger: New Additions
In 1927, the hotel was sold to new owners. They decided to make the hotel much larger! In 1928, they built a huge addition on the west side of the building. This new part was designed by the firm Teich & Sullivan. It doubled the hotel's size and added two large rooms for banquets and parties.
A Parking Garage for Cars
In the same year, the Jefferson Plaza Garage was added to the hotel. This garage was very modern for its time. It had designs from the Art Deco and Tudor Revival styles. This garage helped people visiting downtown St. Louis who had cars. The Hotel Jefferson is special because it's the only old downtown hotel that still has its original parking garage.
A Place for Art and Celebrities
During the late 1930s, a man named Max Theodore Safron ran his art gallery inside the Jefferson Hotel. His gallery was on the mezzanine level, which is a floor between the ground floor and the first floor. He mainly sold paintings from America, Britain, and France to wealthy people in the city.
For the next 20 years, the Jefferson Hotel hosted many conventions and famous people. Gourmet magazine, a well-known food magazine, even called it "one of the best hotels in St. Louis."
Changing Names and Owners
- In 1950, the hotel was sold to Hilton Hotels. It kept its original name, the Jefferson Hotel.
- In 1954, Hilton bought another big hotel chain called Statler Hotels. This meant Hilton owned many large hotels in the same cities, like St. Louis.
- The government thought this was unfair and against the rules for competition. So, Hilton had to sell the Jefferson Hotel.
- In 1955, the hotel was sold to The Sheraton Corporation. It was then renamed The Sheraton-Jefferson.
- In 1973, it was renamed The Jefferson Hotel again, even though it was still part of Sheraton.
From Hotel to Apartments
The hotel finally closed its doors on July 23, 1975. But it didn't stay empty for long! In 1977, it reopened as a place for older people to live, called the Jefferson Arms Apartments.
The building was recognized as a very important historical site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 24, 2003.
Future Plans for the Building
In 2006, there were plans to turn the building into apartments that people could buy (condominiums). However, this project didn't work out. The building then faced legal problems for many years.
Finally, in 2017, a company called Alterra Worldwide bought the building for $7 million. The new owners announced exciting plans! They want to turn the huge building into:
- 239 apartments
- A 198-room AC by Marriott hotel
- 20,000 square feet of shops and businesses
As of late 2019, work had not yet started on these new plans. The city had set a deadline of December 21, 2020, for the project to be finished.
