Ormond Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Ormond Hotel
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 Location in Volusia County
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| Location | Ormond Beach, Florida, United States |
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| Architect | George Penfield |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000964 |
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1980 |
The Ormond Hotel was a famous old hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida. It was also known as The Flagler Hotel. This grand building was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard.
The Ormond Hotel: A Grand Old Place
The Ormond Hotel first opened its doors on January 1, 1888. It was built by two people named John Anderson and J. D. Price. Just a little over a year later, in 1889, a very important person bought the hotel.
This person was Henry Flagler, a powerful businessman who owned the Florida East Coast Railway. He wanted to make the hotel much bigger. He expanded it so it could welcome up to 600 guests! The Ormond Hotel became one of several fancy hotels Flagler owned along his railway line. These hotels helped his train passengers have comfortable places to stay. Other hotels he owned included The Ponce De León Hotel in St. Augustine and The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.
A Hotel for Famous Guests
In 1914, a very famous person came to stay at The Ormond Hotel. This was John D. Rockefeller, who was one of the richest people in the world at that time. He rented an entire floor of the hotel just for himself and his staff during the winter season.
Rockefeller enjoyed his time at the hotel so much that he returned for four winters. After these visits, he decided to buy a nearby house called The Casements. This house was also right next to the Halifax River.
What Happened to the Hotel?
The Ormond Hotel was recognized as an important historical building. On November 24, 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. This list helps protect special places.
However, in 1992, the beautiful Ormond Hotel was torn down. A new building with apartments, called a condominium, was built in its place. Even though the hotel is gone, a part of it still remains. The original cupola (a small dome on top of a building) from the hotel now stands in a park. This park is right by the river, west of where the hotel used to be.
