Francis Marion Hotel

Last updated

Francis Marion Hotel
387 King St.JPG
USA South Carolina location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationKing and Calhoun Sts., Charleston, South Carolina
Coordinates 32°47′09″N79°56′12″W / 32.7858°N 79.9367°W / 32.7858; -79.9367
Arealess than one acre
Built1924
ArchitectW.L. Stoddart
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
Part of Charleston Historic District (ID84002028 [1] )
Added to NRHPAugust 2, 1984

The Francis Marion Hotel is a historic hotel opened in 1924 and located at 387 King St., Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the tallest buildings in Charleston. The hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America.

Contents

History

The hotel, named for the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, was built by local investors at a cost of $1.5 million from plans by noted New York architect William Lee Stoddart. The hotel was built in 1924 by the Marion Square Realty Co., a group headed by former mayor of Charleston T.T. Hyde. The original ownership group formed on March 13, 1920. When the hotel opened on February 7, 1924, the Francis Marion was the largest and grandest hotel in the Carolinas. [2]

In 1952, the hotel became the first fully air-conditioned hotel in Charleston. [3]

The Jack Tar Hotels Corp. bought the hotel in 1954. The hotel underwent a major renovation in 1955-1956 which included the creation of the Swamp Fox Room, a ground-floor restaurant named for the nickname of Francis Marion. [4] During that work, the ground floor of the exterior was changed to red granite.

In 1961, the hotel announced plans to build a three-story parking deck to the north of the hotel on King Street according to plans drawn by Augustus Constantine. [5] The plans were never completed.

Starting upon his retirement as the president of The Citadel in 1965 until 1975, Gen. Mark W. Clark lived with his wife in the penthouse of the hotel. [6] [7]

In 1976, the hotel was doing poorly, and its owners were considering whether to sell out. At the time, the hotel accounted for about 25% of all of the hotel rooms on the peninsula. In 1975, the owners had considered converting the hotel into a home for the elderly. [8]

In 1977, a group of investors considered buying the hotel from Jack Tar Hotels, Inc. The owners at that time had considered renovating the hotel, and the City of Charleston had considered building a parking garage next to the hotel as part of a deal. However, the cost of restoring the buildings as a first-class destination, about $3 million, was too high. [9]

The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, in a boundary increase amendment to the Charleston Historic District. [10] Presumably this was to make it eligible for tax credit subsidy of renovations.

In December 1984, Hospitality Associates of Charleston bought the hotel for $8.5 million. The hotel operated first as the Francis Marion Ramada Hotel and then as the Radisson Francis Marion Hotel. Hospitality Associates borrowed heavily from Prudential Insurance Corp. and also from early owner Dr. Julian Youmans who had acquired the hotel in 1981. Starting in April 1986, Hospitality Associates of Charleston began falling behind in payments on its debt. [11] In 1988, Prudential Insurance Corp. bought the hotel at a public sale for $6 million. Hospitality Associates of Charleston, the previous owner, had been unable to stay current on its payments to the successful bidder. [12]

In 1989, shortly after Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, a group of investors bought the hotel for $3.2 million. The new owners had a $12 million restoration plan, but a downturn in the economy prevented them from financing the plans. Mayor Joseph P. Riley intended to use the hotel as a landmark to prompt the renovation of upper King St. (the area between Calhoun St. and Cannon St.). He lobbied local banks to finance the plans, and the banks eventually contributed $5.5 million in financing; the city itself ponied up more than $4 million. [13]

In 1991, the City of Charleston considered buying the hotel for $3,420,000 and leasing it to the College of Charleston for student housing. [14]

The hotel was meticulously restored in 1996 with a $12 million National Trust for Historic Preservation award winning restoration. It reopened as The Francis Marion Hotel - A Clarion Hotel. The hotel went through a second round of renovations in 1997, costing $2 million, and it was renamed The Westin Francis Marion on June 18, 1998. [15] The hotel left Westin on January 1, 2003 [16] and has operated independently since then. The hotel currently has 235 guest rooms and suites. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

Radisson Hotels is an international hotel chain headquartered in the United States. A division of the Radisson Hotel Group, it operates the brands Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Radisson Collection, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn by Radisson, among others.

Columbia Sussex is a privately owned hotel company based in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The company, owned by the Yung family, owns and operates hotels in various parts of the United States. The current president and founder is William J. Yung III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Square</span>

Marion Square is greenspace in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, spanning six and one half acres. The square was established as a parade ground for the state arsenal under construction on the north side of the square. It is best known as the former Citadel Green because The Citadel occupied the arsenal from 1843 until 1922, when the Citadel moved to the city's west side. Marion Square was named in honor of Francis Marion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westin Book Cadillac Hotel</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a historic skyscraper hotel in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Washington Boulevard Historic District. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and opened as the Book-Cadillac Hotel in 1924, the 349 ft (106 m), 31-story, 453-room hotel includes 65 exclusive luxury condominiums and penthouses on the top eight floors. It reopened in October 2008, managed by Westin Hotels, after a $200-million restoration.

Rainbow Row is the name for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliott St. on East Bay Street, that is, 79 to 107 East Bay Street. The name Rainbow Row was coined after the pastel colors they were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the most photographed parts of Charleston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel</span> Building in Detroit, Michigan

The Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel, is a 367-room, 25-story high-rise hotel opened in 1965, adjacent to TCF Center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Niagara</span> Hotel in New York

The Hotel Niagara is a landmark hotel in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Westin Portland Harborview</span> Building

The Westin Portland Harborview is a historic hotel in Portland, Maine, United States.

Omni Hotels & Resorts is an American privately held, international luxury hotel company based in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1958 as Dunfey Hotels, and operates 50 properties in the United States, Canada, and formerly had a property in Mexico, totaling over 20,010 rooms and employing more than 23,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seelbach Hotel</span> American Historical Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky

The Seelbach Hilton Louisville is a historic hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded by Bavarian-born immigrant brothers Louis and Otto Seelbach, it opened in 1905 as The Seelbach Hotel and is designed in the French Renaissance style. The hotel has hosted numerous celebrities, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, who took inspiration from the Seelbach for a hotel in The Great Gatsby. The hotel is part of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Hotel (Kent, Ohio)</span> Historic building in Kent, Ohio, U.S.

Acorn Corner, originally known as the Franklin Hotel or Hotel Franklin, is a six-story historic building in Kent, Ohio, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since January 2013. Construction started in 1919 and the hotel opened in September 1920. The hotel was also known as the Hotel Kent and later the Hotel Kent-Ellis. Locally it is often referred to as the "old Kent hotel", "Kent Hotel", or the "old hotel". The building functioned as a hotel until the early 1970s when it was converted for use as student housing. The upper four floors were condemned in 1979, though the bottom floors housed a number of small businesses until 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Floyd Manor</span>

The Joseph Floyd Manor is a public housing facility designated for elderly and disabled citizens. It is in the upper peninsula area of Charleston, South Carolina. The building is located at 2106 Mt. Pleasant Street, on the northwest corner of Mt. Pleasant St. and King St. The 12-story building was originally known as the Darlington Apartments and was designed by William G. Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolff of Columbia, South Carolina. The facility has 156 single occupancy rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick O'Donnell House</span>

The Patrick O'Donnell House is the largest example of Italianate architecture in Charleston, South Carolina. It was built for Patrick O'Donnell (1806-1882), perhaps in 1856 or 1857. Other research has suggested a construction date of 1865. Local lore has it that the three-and-a-half-story house was built for his would-be bride who later refused to marry him, giving rise to the house's popular name, "O'Donnell's Folly." Between 1907 and 1937, it was home to Josephine Pinckney; both the Charleston Poetry Society and the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals were formed at the house during her ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams Mansion</span> Historic house in Charleston, SC USA

The Williams Mansion is a Victorian house at 16 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina. The mansion is open for public tours.

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

The Poinsett Hotel, or Westin Poinsett Hotel, is a twelve-story, landmark hotel in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, one of the first skyscrapers in Greenville. Named for Joel R. Poinsett, Secretary of War under President Millard Fillmore, the Poinsett replaced an earlier resort hotel, the Mansion House, built in 1824. In 1982, the Poinsett was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, an organization sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation intended to promote heritage tourism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fairmont Washington, D.C.</span> Luxury hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown is a luxury Postmodernist-style hotel located at 2401 M Street NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The structure, in the West End neighborhood of the city, opened in December 1985 as The Westin Hotel. In December 1989, Westin sold the hotel to All Nippon Airways, which operated it as the ANA Hotel. Lowe Enterprises purchased the hotel in October 1998, and renamed it the Washington Monarch Hotel. A $12 million renovation followed in 1999. Lowe Enterprises sold the hotel to Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust in October 2002, and Legacy contracted with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts to manage the hotel. The hotel was renamed The Fairmont Washington, D.C. Legacy was itself purchased by Cadbridge Investors in July 2007 and the hotel sold to MetLife in 2014, although the property remained branded a Fairmont. A $27 million renovation was completed in January 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Westin Georgetown, Washington, D.C.</span> Hotel in America

The Westin Georgetown, Washington, D.C. is a luxury Postmodernist-style hotel located at 2350 M Street NW in the West End neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Completed in 1984, the hotel was originally known as The Regent of Washington, D.C., but changed its name in 1985 to The Grand. After the hotel's owners were declared bankrupt in October 1994, the corporate predecessors to Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide purchased the property in November 1995. Westin Hotels partnered with the new owners and rebranded the property first as The Westin Hotel in January 1996, then as The Westin Grand in 1999, and finally as The Westin Georgetown in 2010. Since 2011, The Westin Georgetown has been AAA-rated four diamonds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mills House Hotel</span> Building in Charleston, South Carolina

The Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton is a historic hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It opened in 1970, but its facade is based on the original historic hotel that sat on the site from 1853 to 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaillard Center</span> Mixed Use in Charleston, South Carolina

The Gaillard Center is a concert hall and performance venue in Charleston, South Carolina. It opened in 2015 and replaced the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium. Both buildings were named after John Palmer Gaillard Jr., mayor of Charleston from 1959 to 1975.

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

The Faber House is a historic building in Charleston, South Carolina that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Stockton, Robert (January 12, 1981). "Francis Marion Dates To 1920s". Charleston News & Courier. pp. B1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ Nielsen, J.V. (July 16, 1952). "Francis Marion Hotel to Be Completely Air Conditioned". Charleston News & Courier. pp. A1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Francis Marion Hotel's Extension Program Of Remodeling And Redecorating Nears End". Charleston News & Courier. March 26, 1956. p. 12. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Francis Marion Hotel Plans Three-Story Parking Garage Here". Charleston News & Courier. July 3, 1961. pp. 9A. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Gen. Clark's Wife Dies". Lewiston Morning News. October 6, 1966. p. 19. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Gen. Mark W. Clark Dies". Charleston News & Courier. A1. April 17, 1984. Retrieved November 5, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ↑ Flagler, Eleanor G. (May 6, 1976). "Fate of Francis Marion Hotel To Be Decided Soon". Charleston News & Courier. pp. 5B. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  9. ↑ Doubrava, David E. (February 11, 1977). "Group Interested In Buying Francis Marion Hotel". Charleston News & Courier. pp. A1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  10. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Charleston Historic District (Boundary Increase)". National Park Service . Retrieved April 9, 2020. With accompanying pictures
  11. ↑ Green, Richard (October 19, 1988). "Radisson Hotel To Be Sold". Charleston News & Courier. pp. B1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ Parker, Jim (November 15, 1988). "New Owner Plans To Keep Francis Marion Open". Charleston News & Courier. pp. B1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ McDermott, John P. (August 31, 1998). "Hotel owners want Charleston stay to be permanent". Charleston Post & Courier. pp. 10D. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ Parker, Jim (May 22, 1991). "Panel delays Francis Marion decision". Charleston News & Courier. pp. 4B. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Historic Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston SC, Reflagged Westin / Aug 1998".
  16. ↑ "Charleston's Francis Marion Leaves Westin Brand; Expanding Marketing Partnership with Historic Hotels of America / November 2002".
  17. ↑ "The Francis Marion Hotel - History" . Retrieved November 5, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.