Mountaineer Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mountaineer Hotel
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Mountaineer Hotel; Williamson, West Virginia
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Williamson, West Virginia |
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| Architect | Meanor & Handloser |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000265 |
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 1997 |
The Mountaineer Hotel is a historic building in Williamson, West Virginia, USA. It's a large, old hotel right in the middle of the city's main shopping area. This hotel has 116 rooms and was built in a style called Classical Revival. It became a part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1997, which means it's an important building to protect.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
Building the Mountaineer Hotel
In 1923, Williamson was growing fast! The city needed a new, bigger hotel. So, the Williamson Chamber of Commerce, a group that helps local businesses, created a committee. Their job was to raise money for this new hotel.
They sold shares of stock to about 1,400 people, mostly folks who lived nearby. Together, they raised $493,000. Four pieces of land in the city center were bought for $90,000.
The hotel was built in 1925. The total cost was $600,000. An architectural company from Charleston, West Virginia, called Meanor and Handloser, designed the building. Payne Construction from Ashland, Kentucky, built the hotel. The Chamber of Commerce held a contest to name the new hotel. "Mountaineer Hotel" was chosen, and the winner received $100.
Famous Visitors and Events
Because the Mountaineer Hotel was in the center of Williamson, it was a very important place. Many community events happened there over the years. These included political rallies, meetings for local clubs, weddings, and family reunions.
Important people often stayed at the Mountaineer Hotel when they visited the area. These guests included President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Famous business leaders like Henry Ford also stayed there. Even celebrities such as Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams were guests at the hotel.
Hotel Design: Architecture
Outside Look: Exterior
The Mountaineer Hotel is a five-story building shaped like a square. It is built in the Classical Revival style. At street level, there are large openings for different shops. The outside of the building is made of yellow, shiny brick.
The first two floors, the street level and the mezzanine (a floor between two main floors), have a special brick line. This line is called a stringcourse. The top edge of this line, called the cornice, has bricks angled to look like teeth. This is called a dentil effect. Around the windows on the mezzanine floor, there are false arch designs made of brick. They have a special keystone and diamond pattern in the center.
Near the roof, the cornice line has bricks that stick out, called corbeling. Below this, there's a row of bricks that stick out a little from the wall. This row has diamond designs made of bricks placed here and there.
Inside Look: Interior
When you enter the main door, you step into a large lobby. This is where the front desk is located. It has small boxes for room keys and a window where you can check in. French doors lead from the lobby to the hotel's ballroom. The hotel has 116 rooms for guests. It also has a formal ballroom, a restaurant in the lobby, and a sports bar.
