Hotel Fontenelle

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Hotel Fontenelle
Hotelfontenelle.jpg
Hotel Fontenelle in 1920
Hotel Fontenelle
General information
Location Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Address1806 Douglas Street
Coordinates 41°15′32″N95°56′26″W / 41.259010799246454°N 95.9405058567221°W / 41.259010799246454; -95.9405058567221
Groundbreaking1914
OpenedFebruary 26, 1915
Demolished1983
Height175 feet (53 m)
Design and construction
Architect(s) Thomas Rogers Kimball

Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale hotel located at 1806 Douglas Street, Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Designed by noted architect Thomas Rogers Kimball in the Late Gothic Revival style, the hotel opened in 1915. It closed in 1971 and was subsequently demolished in 1983. It was named after Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe. [1]

Contents

History

Hotel Fontenelle was announced in 1912 as a sixteen story hotel in Downtown Omaha. Designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball, the hotel used a Late Gothic Revival style. [2] The following year, it would be named for Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe when it ceded land to the U.S. government which became the city of Omaha. [3] The hotel began construction in 1914 and was built for the Douglas Hotel Company. [4] The hotel officially opened on February 26, 1915. [5]

In 1920, H. A. Wolf Co. purchased a majority of the Douglas Hotel Company. [6] Ownership was later transferred to Gene Eppley and his company, the Eppley Hotel Company, the following year. [7] The center of Omaha society, the hotel was the site of numerous civic events, weddings and conventions. These included the founding of the Girl Scout movement in Omaha. [8] a national women's bowling tournament, [9] and lectures by Willa Cather and other nationally known authors. [10]

The Eppley Hotel Company was sold to Sheraton Hotels, for $30 million in 1956. It was the second-largest hotel sale in United States history. [11] That same year, the hotel re-branded to the Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel. [12] Sheraton sold the hotel to Gotham Hotels in 1968 and it reverted to its original name. [13] That same year, the hotel was used as the headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. [14]

Hotel Fontenelle was temporarily closed in February 1971 by its owner as an economic move. The hotel later officially closed on February 28, 1971. [15] Following its closure, several attempts were made to save the hotel. However, the City of Omaha purchased the hotel in 1982, after it was foreclosed. [16] Demolition of the hotel began with the removal of its spires in February 1983, and demolition was completed in June of that same year. [17] [18]

Architecture

Hotel Fontenelle was designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball and used a Late Gothic Revival style. The hotel had eighteen floors and was 175 feet (53 m) tall. [19] The hotel originally had 350 guest rooms. [20]

Notable guests

The Fontenelle hosted many celebrities and politicians through the years, including Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, [21] as well as president Harry S. Truman, [22] who was a personal friend of Gene Eppley. Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline stayed at the hotel during his campaign for the 1960 Presidential election. [23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gerber, K. and Spencer, J.S. (2003) Architecture for the Ages. Landmarks, Inc. p. 35.
  2. ↑ "NAMING THE NEW HOTEL". Omaha Daily Bee. December 29, 1912. p. 6. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  3. ↑ "FONTENELLE WILL BE A $1,500,000 HOTEL". Omaha World-Herald. September 13, 1914. p. 10. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Jim McKee: The Fontenelle Hotel, an Omaha architectural gem | Local | journalstar.com".
  5. ↑ "HOTEL FONTENELLE AT OMAHA". Nebraska State Journal. February 27, 1915. p. 12. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  6. ↑ "HOTEL FONTENELLE SOLD FOR MILLION". Fremont Tribune. January 15, 1920. p. 6. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  7. ↑ "EPPLEY PURCHASES HOTEL PROPERTIES". Lincoln Journal Star. April 6, 1921. p. 5. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  8. ↑ History Archived 2008-12-07 at the Wayback Machine , Great Plains Girl Scouts Council. Retrieved 2/2/08.
  9. ↑ Congress, Inc. Time magazine. May 13, 1936. Retrieved 2/2/08.
  10. ↑ 1921 Interview Archived 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine , University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Retrieved 2/2/08.
  11. ↑ "Closing the gap," Time magazine June 4, 1956. Retrieved 6/15/08.
  12. ↑ "Hotel Personnel Wil Not Change". Evening World-Herald. July 16, 1956. p. 8. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Shearton Selling Fontenelle, Sherwyn Hotels in Omaha". Omaha World-Herald. October 8, 1968. p. 2. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Bomb Hoax Empties Kennedy Offices". Omaha World-Herald. May 14, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Fontanelle Hotel May Not Reopen". The Lincoln Star. February 27, 1971. p. 6. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Death Knell Is Sounded For Old Fontenelle Hotel". Omaha World-Herald. June 12, 1982. p. 15. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Hotel, parking lot proposed to cover site of Fontenelle". Lincoln Journal Star. June 2, 1983. p. 22. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  18. ↑ "1983 02 13 Omaha World-Herald Pg 25 Col 4-6 Hotel Fontenelle Spires". Omaha World-Herald. February 13, 1983. p. 25. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Hotel Fontenelle - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Hotel Fontenelle and Hotel Castle | Nebraska Library Commission Blog" . Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  21. ↑ Archived 2022-02-08 at the Wayback Machine , Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 01/24/2019.
  22. ↑ Truman Library photographs Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine , Truman Library. Retrieved 2/2/08.
  23. ↑ Dalstrom, H.A. (1969) Eugene C. Eppley: His Life and Legacy. Johnsen Press.
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