Colony House Motor Lodge

Last updated

Colony House Motor Lodge
Colony House - Roanoke 01.jpg
Colony House Motor Lodge in 2023
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location3560 Franklin Road, SW, Roanoke, Virginia
Coordinates 37°14′11″N79°58′09″W / 37.2364°N 79.9691°W / 37.2364; -79.9691
Area2.69 acres (1.09 ha)
Built1959 (1959)
ArchitectKinsey and Motley
Architectural style Googie
NRHP reference No. 100008648 [1]
VLR No.128-6477
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 8, 2023
Designated VLRDecember 8, 2022 [2]

The Colony House Motor Lodge is a historic motel in Roanoke, Virginia. The motor lodge was built in 1959 in the Googie style and located on a main thoroughfare in what at the time was the outskirts of the city, making it a notable example of mid-20th century trends in design, travel, and lodging. The property consists of two buildings of guest rooms, an office and porte-cochere, and a swimming pool. Despite the changing character of its setting and national lodging trends, the motel remained in business until closing in 2018. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023, and as of 2023 was being renovated for use as a boutique hotel.

History

The Colony House Motor Lodge was developed by Glover and Richard Trent, a pair of brothers who were businessmen in Roanoke during the mid-20th century. [3] The brothers built the motel on Franklin Road, the primary thoroughfare into the city from the south, at a location which at the time was part of Roanoke County and located outside the developed portion of the area. [4] The motor lodge was designed by Kinsey and Motley, an architecture firm based out of nearby Salem, who developed an understated version of the Googie style for the business. [3] The buildings' primary design trait is their folded plate roofs, cantilevered and painted white, which delineate the motel's bays. [3] The same feature is used on the office roof as well as its attached porte-cochere. [3] The assorted design elements show influence from the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. [3]

The lodging portion of the property initially consisted of two buildings housing a total of 45 motel rooms. [3] The buildings were constructed against a steep hillside; the first floor is one room deep, while the second floor has rooms back-to-back. [3] The rooms are 300 square feet (28 m2) each, and were built with heating and air conditioning as well as louvred screen doors for additional ventilation. [5]

Along with the motel office and porte-cochere, an additional contributing resource to the property is a rectangular swimming pool, originally constructed with a masonry screen to shield swimmers from traffic on the road. [3] [5] The property initially included a steak restaurant called Town and Ranch; after it burned in the early 1980s it was replaced with a 1984 addition to the motel, connected via a breezeway, that increased its room capacity to 67. [3] [4] The final contributing structures are two signs that date to the motel's 1959 opening and a c.1970 sign. [3]

The motor lodge was a popular destination in its early years and benefitted from a national trend of increasing automobile tourism. [3] Its proximity to Roanoke's Victory Stadium saw it host not only attendees of that venue's events but also many of its performers. Notable guests included Johnny Unitas, whose Baltimore Colts played exhibition games in the stadium in 1961 and 1962, and Herman's Hermits, who also held a meet and greet with fans at the property's Town and Ranch restaurant in 1965. [4]

Despite the rise of national hotel chains in the latter half of the 20th century, the growth of Franklin Road as a commercial corridor, and the construction of an expressway that bypassed the road into Downtown Roanoke, the Colony House stayed in business longer than many similar establishments in the area. [3] With its décor little changed since its opening, the motel attracted guests seeking a retro lodging experience. [6]

In 2018, the Trent family, owners of the motel since its opening, closed its doors and sold the property. [6] The motor lodge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023, and that same year it was announced that the site was being renovated in the style of a boutique hotel. [7] The rooms will be modernized and updated, but the exterior appearance will remain largely the same. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel</span> Establishment that provides lodging paid on a short-term basis

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator, and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a flat-screen television, and en-suite bathrooms. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motel</span> Hotel catering to motorists

A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, coined as a portmanteau of "motor hotel", originates from the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, California, which was built in 1925. The term referred to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and in some circumstances, a common area or a series of small cabins with common parking. Motels are often individually owned, though motel chains do exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moana Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Moana Hotel is a historic hotel building in Honolulu, Hawaii, located at 2365 Kalākaua Avenue in the Waikiki neighborhood. Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Waikiki, the Moana opened in 1901. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 1989. The building is currently part of the resort complex known as Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa and is managed by Westin Hotels & Resorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Econo Lodge</span> North American motel chain

Econo Lodge is an economy motel chain based in the United States and Canada. Econo Lodge is one of the larger brands in the Choice Hotels system. It aims to provide affordable rooms to budget travelers. The properties contain a minimum of 40 guest rooms and are often located near highways or highway access. All hotels provide a free breakfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Roanoke</span> Historic hotel in Roanoke, Virginia

The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is a historic hotel located in the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. Originally built in 1882, the hotel has been rebuilt and expanded many times. The central wing dates to 1938. The hotel is currently owned by Virginia Tech and operated under the Curio Collection by Hilton brand. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico</span> Historic highway in the United States

The historic U.S. Route 66 ran east–west across the central part of the state of New Mexico, along the path now taken by Interstate 40 (I-40). However, until 1937, it took a longer route via Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, now roughly New Mexico State Road 6 (NM 6), I-25, and US 84. Large portions of the old road parallel to I-40 have been designated NM 117, NM 118, NM 122, NM 124, NM 333, three separate loops of I-40 Business, and state-maintained frontage roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leopold Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Leopold Hotel is a historic hotel structure in Bellingham, Washington. The surviving wings were constructed in 1929 and 1967. It is currently used as a combination apartment building and hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dearborn Inn</span> United States historic place

The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel is a historic hotel in the suburban city of Dearborn, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It opened in 1931 and closed in February 2023 for renovations. It was conceived by Henry Ford, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport hotels. It is located at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard near The Henry Ford and the world headquarters building of Ford Motor Company. Albert Kahn designed the Dearborn Inn in the Georgian architectural style. The Dearborn Inn is owned by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and managed by Marriott International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Concha Motel</span> Building in Las Vegas, Nevada

The La Concha Motel was a motel that opened in 1961 and closed in 2004. It was designed by architect Paul Williams who was one of the first prominent African American architects in the United States and was also the architect who designed the first LAX theme building. It was located at 2955 Las Vegas Blvd South, on the Las Vegas Strip, in Winchester, Nevada, and was considered one of the best-preserved examples of 1950s Googie architecture. It is believed to be named after the Beach of La Concha in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Henry Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Patrick Henry Hotel is a Colonial Revival former hotel listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, United States. Located at 617 South Jefferson Street at the southern end of Downtown, the Patrick Henry was designed by William Lee Stoddart and opened in 1925. The building now serves as apartments, office space, and a restaurant in the former lobby rebranded simply The Patrick Henry. It is located in the Roanoke Downtown Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croton North station</span>

Croton North station is a disused train station on Senasqua Road in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, United States. It was built by the New York Central Railroad in the late 19th century. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Croton North Railroad Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Anza Motor Lodge</span> United States historic place

The De Anza Motor Lodge was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was built in 1939 by Charles G. Wallace, a local trader of Zuni art and pottery, who remained the owner until 1983. Wallace decorated the motel with a variety of Native American art, including a series of murals by Zuni artist Tony Edaakie in a basement room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake McDonald Lodge Coffee Shop</span> United States historic place

The Lake McDonald Lodge Coffee Shop is a visitor services building in the Lake McDonald district of Glacier National Park, Montana. The coffee shop was built in 1965 as part of the National Park Service's Mission 66 program to upgrade visitor facilities, in order to increase visitor dining capacity. Under the Mission 66 projects, visitor facilities were usually comprehensive in nature, providing a range of visitor services. Specialized concession buildings like the Coffee Shop were unusual in Mission 66. It was leased to the Glacier Park Company for operation, in anticipation of the construction of lodging facilities by the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Spring Steam Pumping Station</span> United States historic place

The Crystal Spring Steam Pumping Station is a historic pumping station located at Roanoke, Virginia, in the United States. It was built in 1905, and is a one-story building constructed in common-bond brick. The building houses a Corliss-type pump made by the Snow Steam Pump Company in Buffalo, New York. At its peak, the pump provided 5,000,000 US gallons (19,000 m3) of water daily. It was in operation from 1905 to 1957, and was an important source of fresh water in Roanoke's early history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curio (brand)</span> Hotel chain

Curio Collection by Hilton is an upscale hotel brand within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Curio Collection is a soft brand, meaning its hotels are supported by Hilton, but retain their own individual branding. Hilton selects independent hotels and resorts to be part of the Curio Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucson Inn</span> Historic place in Tucson, Arizona

The Tucson Inn is a motel located in Tucson, Arizona, in an area now known as the Miracle Mile Historic District. The motel was built in 1953 in the Googie architecture and Modernist style, and is an example of historic 1950s Mid-century modern highway motel architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historic Hotels of America</span> National Trust for Historic Preservation program

Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels in the United States that have maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtowner Motor Inn</span> United States historic place

The Downtowner Motor Inn is a historic motel on Central Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Opened in 1965, it was originally part of the Downtowner chain, which operated economy-priced motels in city centers across the U.S. In 1972, the motel was sold and became a Quality Inn. It has also operated as a Ramada and most recently as the Hotel Blue, which closed in 2017. In 2020, it was announced that the motel would be renovated by the Los Angeles–based ARRIVE Hotels & Restaurants to reopen in 2022. These plans were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ARRIVE Hotels was purchased by a different hotel company, Palisociety, in 2021. After several years of delays, the project was reported in 2023 to be "back on track" with a targeted completion date of December 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckhorn Baths Motel</span> Historic defunct mineral hot spring resort in Mesa, Arizona

The Buckhorn Baths Motel at 5900 East Main Street at the corner of North Recker Road in Mesa, Arizona was a small mineral hot springs resort which offered a bathhouse as well as both cottages and motel rooms for overnight stays. Beginning in 1936 as a gas station and store, Ted and Alice Sliger developed the property into a resort complex which opened in 1939 and was virtually complete as of 1947. It continued to operate until 1999, when the bathhouse closed, although the motel and "Wildlife Museum" continued until 2004.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kronau, Kate; Blanton, Alison (August 2022). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Colony House Motor Lodge" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
  4. 1 2 3 Berrier, Jr., Ralph. "Colony House still vintage '50s motor lodge." Roanoke Times, The (VA), June 20, 2015: E1.
  5. 1 2 "Colony House Motor Lodge Roanoke" (PDF). The Virginia Record. 82 (11): 16. November 1960.
  6. 1 2 Holland, Tiffany. "Iconic Colony House closes, property sold to new owner Iconic Colony House closes and property falls under new ownership." Roanoke Times, The (VA), March 28, 2018: 8A.
  7. 1 2 Sturgeon, Jeff. "Motel makeovers Roanoke motels in transition offer private and public development opportunities." Roanoke Times, The (VA), January 29, 2023: 1C.