HomeMy WebLinkAboutLaSalle Hotel Marker - THC Draft 1
Texas Historical Commission staff (FR), 2/4/02
27" x 42" Official Texas Historical Marker with post
Brazos County (Job #07699)
Location: 120 S. Main St., Bryan
Subject codes: IN, BC UTM ref.: 14 751647E 3396077N
LaSALLE HOTEL
OCCUPYING A PROMINENT CORNER IN THE SOUTHERN END OF
BRYAN'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE LaSALLE HOTEL IS AN
ARCHITECTURAL LANDMARK REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY'S EARLY
20TH- CENTURY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. AT THAT TIME, BRYAN
WAS A MAJOR RAILROAD STOP BETWEEN HOUSTON AND DALLAS, AND
ITS DEPOT ON THE HOUSTON AND TEXAS CENTRAL RAIL LINE (NOW
DEMOLISHED) ONCE STOOD(DIRECTLY ACROSS MAIN STREET FROM
THE LaSALLE. lc-
-
COMPLETED IN 1928 FOR LEADING BUSINESSMAN ROBERT ISTAR u
C`a , Ic,(L
HOWELL (1877- 1960), THE LaSALLE HOTEL WAS THE TALLEST
BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN BRYAN AT THE TIME OF ITS CONSTRUCTION.
AUSTIN ARCHITECT GEORGE LOUIS WALLING DESIGNED THE SEVEN -
STORY BUILDING WITH CLASSICAL DETAILS AND A DISTINCTLY
VERTICAL EMPHASIS. THE FIRST FLOOR INCLUDED THE DINING
ROOM AND COFFEE SHOP, WHILE THE CONVENTION HALL AND
BALLROOM WERE LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR. ROUGHLY 100
GUEST ROOMS OCCUPIED THE TOP FIVE FLOORS.
THE LaSALLE ACCOMMODATED VISITORS TO BRYAN AND NEARBY
COLLEGE STATION, INCLUDING FAMILIES, POLITICIANS, SOCIETY
FIGURES, BUSINESS TRAVELERS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL. THE
BUILDING SERVED AS A NURSING HOME FROM 1959 UNTIL 1975 AND
WAS CLOSED FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
FOLLOWING A REHABILITATION PROJECT, THE LaSALLE RETURNED TO
ITS HISTORIC USE AS A DOWNTOWN HOTEL IN 2000.
RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 2001 2
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Signed: //, JP/ `.