The Davenport Hotel (Spokane, Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Davenport Hotel
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| Location | 10 South Post Street Spokane, Washington |
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| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Kirtland Kelsey Cutter |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001874 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 1975 |
The Davenport Hotel is a famous hotel in Spokane, Washington. It was named after Louis Davenport, who was the first owner and helped plan the project. The building was designed by architect Kirtland Cutter and opened in 1914.
The Davenport Hotel was very modern for its time. It was the first hotel in the United States to have air conditioning. It also had a central vacuum system and a pipe organ. The hotel's ballrooms had special dividing doors. The famous seafood dish, Crab Louie, was created and first served here. The hotel is recognized as an important historical place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Developer Walt Worthy completely restored the hotel in 2002. Today, it is known as The Historic Davenport Hotel. It is part of The Davenport Hotel Collection, which includes three other hotels.
Contents
Discovering the Davenport Hotel's History
How the Hotel Began
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Louis Davenport arrived in Spokane Falls, Washington Territory, in 1889. He was 20 years old and had worked as a clerk in San Francisco. He came to Spokane to work in his uncle's restaurant for the summer.
In August 1889, a huge fire swept through Spokane. It destroyed 32 city blocks. Young Davenport saved what he could from the fire. He bought a tent and opened "Davenport's Waffle Foundry." Spokane rebuilt quickly after the fire. Washington became a state that winter. The city dropped "Falls" from its name.
Spokane grew fast because of timber, mining, agriculture, and the railroad. The city was becoming a major center in the West.
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Louis Davenport saw a great chance to grow his business. The next year, he leased a brick building. It was on the corner of Sprague Avenue and Post Street. He expanded his menu to almost 100 different items.
Within a few years, Davenport's Restaurant was famous. One critic called it "the finest thing of the kind in the country." Business was so good that Davenport expanded again. He moved into a building next door within ten years.
He hired a rising architect named Kirtland Cutter. In 1904, Cutter made the two buildings look like one. He designed them in a Mission Revival style. The white stucco walls and red tile roofs were very different from other buildings downtown. This remodel also added a beautiful ballroom on the second floor, called the Hall of the Doges. It was considered the finest ballroom in the West.
Building the Grand Hotel
The idea for the Davenport Hotel did not come from Louis Davenport. It also wasn't built with his money. A group of Spokane businessmen wanted a large, fancy hotel. They needed a place to host important guests in their growing city.
They chose Cutter and Davenport for the project. The Davenport Hotel Company was formed in 1912. Work on the hotel began that same year. The main hotel tower was built in just eight months in 1913. Workers used horse carts, steam jacks, and hand tools. Amazingly, no worker was seriously hurt or killed. This was rare for such a big project back then.
Cutter and Davenport traveled the world for ideas. They looked for furnishings for their new hotel. Cutter designed rooms inspired by famous architects from France, England, and Spain. Davenport filled the hotel with beautiful art and even songbirds.
He prepared to serve guests on tables with fine Irish linens from Liddell. These were the same linens used on the Titanic ship. The hotel also had 15,000 pieces of silver. This was the largest private order ever made by Reed and Barton. The hotel opened on September 1, 1914. Its grand opening parties were held from September 17-19, 1914. Since then, the hotel has been known as "one of America's exceptional hotels."
The Hotel's Busy Years
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The hotel was very successful. In 1917, a 53-room addition was built. In 1929, an eleven-story addition was added on the south side. This new part had 80 more rooms.
The Davenport Hotel was also home to Spokane's first commercial radio station, KHQ. It started broadcasting in 1922. From its tower on the hotel roof, KHQ sent voices across the Inland Northwest. KHQ played music from many local bands. One band's drummer, Harry "Bing" Crosby, later became a world-famous singer. KHQ radio was a strong voice for over 50 years. Both KHQ and The Davenport Hotel closed in 1985.
In 1928, Louis Davenport bought out the hotel's other owners. He sold the hotel and restaurant in 1945 for $1.5 million. Over the next few decades, the hotel changed owners several times. Louis Davenport passed away in his hotel suite in 1951.
In the 1960s, the hotel was updated. It was changed to be more like a motel, with a drive-in entrance. The hotel continued to change hands. By 1985, it was struggling financially and closed its doors.
People even thought about tearing the hotel down. A demolition crew said the whole block could be taken down quickly. However, the building had a lot of asbestos. Removing it would be very expensive. This high cost actually saved the hotel from being destroyed.
A group of citizens called Friends of the Davenport formed in 1986. They wanted to save the hotel. They held events to raise money and looked for someone to buy and restore it. In 1990, a businessman from Hong Kong, Patrick Wai-Meng Ng, bought the hotel. He started some renovations, but he couldn't reopen it.
Bringing the Hotel Back to Life
In March 2000, local business owners Walt and Karen Worthy bought the entire city block. They paid $6.5 million for it. Then, they spent two years and $38 million of their own money to restore The Davenport.
The hotel's public areas and ballrooms were brought back to their original look. Real gold leaf was used around the fireplace. The guest rooms were completely redone. They got new wiring, plumbing, walls, furniture, and fixtures.
The Hall of the Doges, a beautiful ballroom, was moved. It was lifted out of the oldest part of the building. Then, it was put into a new addition. This made it the only "flying ballroom" in the world!
The Davenport Hotel reopened on July 15, 2002. It celebrated its grand reopening from September 13-15, 2002. A ship's bell was rung eight times, like a change of watch, to mark the occasion.
Exploring the Hotel Lobby
The first fire in the lobby fireplace was lit in September 1914 by Kirtland Cutter. Louis Davenport wanted the fireplace to always be burning. It was a symbol of the hotel's hospitality. It used to burn wood, but now it burns natural gas. The fire is still kept burning all year long, just as Mr. Davenport wished.
Above the fireplace is a painting of the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María. These were the ships Christopher Columbus used in 1492. The hotel's design mixes styles from Italy, France, England, Spain, and Imperial Russia.
The lobby's design is inspired by the Spanish Renaissance style. Glass panels in the ceiling make the lobby feel like an atrium. There is another glass roof above for protection. The ceiling beams are made of plaster. They were painted to look like wood. Over the years, smoke from the fireplace and cigars made them dark. During the 2000 renovation, the beams were cleaned. Their original burgundy, teal, and gold colors reappeared.
In 1915, Mr. Davenport explained the hotel's decorations:
In old Spanish homes, they showed medallions with pictures of important family members. That's why you see them often in the lobby. The griffin is also important. Here, it has the body of a lion, showing strength. Its wings and head are like an eagle, showing speed and quick action. The dolphin also appears. It is always linked to old stories and being friendly.
