Mather Inn facts for kids
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Mather Inn
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 107 Canda St., Ishpeming, Michigan |
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| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | James H. Ritchie, Warren H. Manning |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Georgian revival vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001505 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1978 |
The Mather Inn is a famous old hotel located in Ishpeming, Michigan. It's known for being the place where actors stayed during the filming of the 1959 movie Anatomy of a Murder. The famous musician Duke Ellington also wrote music for the movie while staying here. The inn was recognized as a special Michigan State Historic Site in 1976. Later, in 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building with a lot of history.
Contents
History of the Mather Inn
Early Hotels in Ishpeming
Back in 1875, a man named Robert Nelson, who founded the city of Ishpeming, built a hotel. It was called the Barnum House. Just four years later, the Barnum House burned down. Robert Nelson quickly built a new hotel in its place. He named this one the Nelson House.
The Nelson House stood for many years, but in 1928, it also burned down. This was a big problem for the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company. This company was very important in the area. They needed a nice place to host important guests who came to visit.
Building the Mather Inn
To solve this problem, the president of Cleveland-Cliffs, William G. Mather, decided to build a brand new, fancy hotel. He paid for the construction himself. This new hotel was named the Mather Inn, after him.
Mather hired a talented architect from Boston named James H. Ritchie to design the building. He also asked Warren H. Manning, a person he had worked with for a long time, to design the beautiful gardens and outdoor areas. The Mather Inn is seen as a great example of their work.
Life of the Inn
The Mather Inn officially opened its doors in 1932. It served the community for many decades. In 1959, it became a temporary home for the actors and crew of the classic movie Anatomy of a Murder.
In the mid-1980s, a group called the Mather Inn Preservation Society was formed. Their goal was to help keep the inn going. However, the hotel faced tough times. In 1987, it had to close down and was sold.
Recent Changes
The Mather Inn was empty for many years. But in 2004, work began to fix up the building. By 2009, it was owned by a private group. They started changing it into fancy homes and office spaces.
By 2014, the old boiler room and a storage area in the inn were turned into a brewery. It's called Cognition Brewing Company. The brewery plans to serve its drinks in the inn's old pub area.
What the Mather Inn Looks Like
Outside the Building
The Mather Inn is a large, four-story building. It is shaped like a rectangle. It was built using strong materials like concrete and steel. The outside is covered with bricks.
The front of the building has three main sections. In the middle section, there's a two-story portico. This is like a covered porch with columns that protects the main entrance. The windows on the front are all different shapes and sizes. There are also bay windows next to the entrance. Dormer windows stick out from the sloped roof. All these details make the building look very interesting.
Inside the Building and Grounds
Inside, the public areas of the inn have walls covered in pine wood. There's a dining room that is slightly lower than the rest of the floor. There's also a special clubroom for men.
The inn originally had forty-seven guest rooms. This included three apartments that were already furnished. Outside, the grounds have neat, layered gardens. There's also a very large rock garden with big boulders. The Mather Inn still looks a lot like it did when it was first built. Not many changes have been made to its original design.
