Meeker Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Meeker Hotel
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The Hotel Meeker in 2012.
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 Location in Colorado
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| Location | 560 Main St., Meeker, Colorado |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000923 |
| Added to NRHP | May 7, 1980 |
The Meeker Hotel is a very old and important hotel in Meeker, Colorado. It was built way back in 1896. This makes it one of the oldest hotels still open in Colorado! Because it's so historic, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hotel History and Design
The Meeker Hotel was built in 1896. At that time, Meeker was a busy stop for stagecoaches. Many people visited the beautiful White River Valley. There were other hotels in Meeker, but none were as grand as the brick hotel built by Rueben Sanford Ball.
In 1904, the hotel got bigger. New sections, called wings, were added to the east and west sides. This made the hotel much larger. It increased the number of rooms to forty. Pictures taken by H.A. Wildhack show the hotel being built. Construction happened quickly, from June 9 to July 15, 1896. Building materials were brought in by freight wagon from Rifle.
Today, the Meeker Hotel is special. It is the only historic hotel still standing in the northwest part of Colorado.
The Meeker Café's Story
The stone building next to the hotel now holds the Meeker Café. This building has a long history! It was first called the Vorges Building. It opened on May 9, 1891, as Meeker's new Post Office.
In 1904, it became the 1st National Bank Building. Later, in 1918, Rueben S. Ball moved the café from inside the hotel to this building. A local resident, Phil Jensen, shared a cool story. In the early 1930s, he sat in the café's old-fashioned booths. These booths were first used in the Midwest Café in Craig. Around the mid-1930s, these special Art Deco style booths, counter, and bar were moved to the Meeker Café.
A Protected Historic Site
The Meeker Hotel is very important for history. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This listing helps protect its history for future generations.
