HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistory of the LaSalle Hotel; Historic Hotels of America article (early 2000s)
Creating a New Beginning: The History of the LaSalle Hotel
The earliest record of the present LaSalle property dates back to 1866. It changed owners several times
and was purchased in 1874 by Volney Cavitt. One of the only two-story structures in Bryan at the time, the
LaSalle building was sold to Mr. Cavitt by F.W. McGraw for 2,500 gold coins under the contract of its being
turned into a local business. In 1875 the first floor was rented to a local businessman while the second floor
served as an Academy of Music. The Academy e served as Bryan's ttfirst otthere center and opera el's longstanding ballroom.se. The
Academy was later
The building was deeded to its namesake The LaSalle Properties, Inc. on
November 18,1927 by Robert Wistar Howell, a local businessman. The
transformation of the building into a hotel began in 1928 under the careful eye of
architect George Louis Walling. At the time of the LaSalle Hotel's original
opening in 1929*, Bryan was a prominent railroad stop between Houston and
Dallas due to its agricultural significance. Salesmen and other travelers arriving at
the West 28 Street Passenger Depot were frequently housed within the LaSalle's
Courtesy of The original 100 guest rooms. Originally the city's largest and best-known hostelry,
Histo Center for
Brazos Valley y History the LaSalle Hotel provided another valuable service other than just housing the
city's guests; it was a prominent feature in the social lives of many of the city's inhabitants.
Although the third through seventh floors were dedicated to the service of the guests, local city-
dwellers were served through the various other activities located on the first and second floors of the Hotel. In
addition to the hotel offices, lobby, foyer and the front desk, the first floor originally included a coffee shop,
valet room, kitchen and two rental business locations that faced out onto Main Street. The second floor housed a
ballroom, gallery, beauty shop, dining room, main stairway and foyer, and service closets.
I
The LaSalle Hotel served as a hotel until 1959 when it was purchased by J.C. Jacques from the Howe
family. The property functioned as a nursing home until it was sold by Mr. Jacques to his son in 1975. The
property was then run again as a hotel until its closing in 1979.
The LaSalle remained vacant until 1984 when five Bryan qa
women purchased the property with hopes for its renovation; they
planned to reopen it in 1986. However, financial and legal woes
abruptly halted their efforts. In December of 1991, developer Reid A
A5f
Monroe purchased the building with renovation plans to include a
k-
restaurant and apartments. Unfortunately, Mr. Monroe was killed in
an accident before his plans could be realized. On October 27, 1997, 'Vi
The LaSalle Hotel Ltd. purchased the property from Mr. Monroe's
widow. Renovations began in May of 1999 and the LaSalle Hotel Courtesy of The Carnegie Center for Brazos Valley History
once again opened its doors to public use in September of 2000.
During the renovation process, great care was taken to return the hotel to the glory of its past. Therefore,
the furniture and other accents within the hotel reflect the era of the 1920's and 1930's. The flooring on the
ground level of the hotel is original to the building as are the green marble baseboards. Due to the hotel's
significance to the City of Bryan and its downtown area in particular, it has been placed on the National
Registry of Historic Places.
HISTORIC HOTELS
of f AMERICA
NATIONALTRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION'