HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistory of the LaSalle Hotel; article (Oct. 2000) •
Creating a New Beginning
The History of the LaSalle Hotel
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 28th Street Passenger Depot were frequently housed within the LaSalle's original 100 guest rooms.
Originally the city's largest and best -known hostelry, 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 also housed 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.
The earliest record of the present LaSalle property dates back
_.� T ,..� to 1866 following which it changed owners several times recorded in
I- _ ' i -; 1871 and in 1874. In 1874, Volney Cavitt purchased the building from
` L 1 4 = F. W. McGraw for 2,500 gold coins after having been contracted to
i 41..±- L. F s turn it into a local business. At the time, the building was one of the
L L L �-- " - i r . - earliest two structures existing in Bryan an
r ib �t tl ` ry g ry and had remained
Y L LLk ., £� . vacant until Mr. Cavitt was able to put it to use in 1875. The first
4-'%54-1U11 LL . '— " s l`° L floor was rented to a local businessman while the second floor served
,t' . "1 -� � 4 t h I as an Academy of Music. Utilized also as theatre and playhouse, the
r t - . a- ` ,- Academy served as Bryan's first center of the theatre and opera and 1
,i ' � later served as a ballroom by removin g the installed benches.
On October 16,1926, Robert Wistar Howell purchased the property and on November 18,1927,
deeded the property to The Properties, Incorporated. Under the careful eye of architect George
Louis Walling, the transformation of the building into a hotel began in 1928. Completed in 1929, The
LaSalle Hotel first opened its doors to public service and served as a hotel unti11959, when J. C. Jacques
purchased the hotel from the Howell family. The property served as a nursing home until 1975, when
federal regulations mandated wider hallways than existed in the original building. Mr. Jacques sold the
property to his son who operated the property as a hotel until its closing in 1979.
In 1984, five Bryan women purchased the property with hopes to renovate and reopen the hotel in
1986. However, financial and legal woes abruptly halted their efforts. In December of 1991, developer.
Reid Monroe purchased the building with renovation plans to include a restaurant and apartments. On
February44,1992, Mr. Monroe fell to his death from the roof of the building while lowering a measuring
tape to a construction worker below. On October 27,1997, the LaSalle Hotel Ltd. purchased the property
from Mr. Monroe's widow. Renovation began in May of 1999, and the LaSalle Hotel once again opened its
doors to public service in September of 2000.
During the renovation process, great care was taken to return the Hotel to the glory of its original
time. Therefore, the furniture and other accents within the Hotel reflect the era of the 1920's and 1930's.
The flooring on the first floor of the Hotel is original to the building as are the green marble baseboards
although it was necessary to remove the baseboards reinstall them following the renovation process.
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.
* Photo courtesy of The Carnegie Center for Brazos Valley History