Southern Hotel (Perris, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Southern Hotel
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Southern Hotel
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 445 S. D St., Perris, California |
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| Built | 1886 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001384 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1992 |
The Southern Hotel in Perris, California is a very old building. It was built in 1886. This hotel is important because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. You can find it at 445 S. D Street, right in the middle of Perris. It's one of only two important buildings from the 1800s still standing in the city today. The other is the Perris Depot.
A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
The Southern Hotel is the oldest business building still standing in Perris. It was built by Bernardo and Marcellina Bernasconi. They were a couple who moved to America from Switzerland. Bernardo Bernasconi was a rancher, and they had six children.
The building first served as a hotel. It was a stop for people traveling on the stage line between San Jacinto and Perris. Around 1919, it stopped being a hotel. It became the home for the Bernasconi family instead.
Matilda Bernasconi, the oldest child, lived in the building for many years. After she passed away, the building started to fall apart. In 1987, there were two fires, and the building was almost torn down.
Luckily, in 1990, the Motte brothers bought the hotel. They worked hard to fix it up. Now, it has been restored and is used as the Motte Historical Museum.
Before 1885, the area was known as Pinacate. This area is now part of southern Perris. Perris got a railway station in 1886. Soon after, the Southern Hotel became one of the very first buildings in the growing town.
What Does the Hotel Look Like?
The Southern Hotel is a two-story building made of wood. It has a rectangular shape. It was built in a style popular during the Victorian Era. It also has many special features from the Italianate design style.
In the past, other businesses were right next to the hotel. But today, the Southern Hotel stands by itself.
The front of the building faces west, towards S. D Street. It has horizontal wooden panels on its outside walls. You can see a main door and two windows. These windows have fancy decorations above them, like crowns. There is also an open wooden porch with four strong posts holding it up.
