Murphy's Hotel

Early Postcard of Murphy Hotel and Annex

Old Postcard With Dirigible

The Murphy Hotel (or Murphy's Hotel) was once a leading hotel in downtown Richmond, Virginia. ^[1] Its location was at the corner of 8th and Broad Streets and for the last decade was known as the Commonwealth of Virginia's Eighth Street Office Building. ^[2] The building shared a block with the Hotel Richmond, also known as the state's Ninth Street office building, and St. Peter's Church. ^[2] It was deconstructed in late 2007 to give way to a modern high-rise that will house offices for the Commonwealth of Virginia. ^[2]

History

The original hotel was built in 1872 by John Murphy, an Irish immigrant, and former Confederate soldier. ^[2] He renovated his oyster shack by opening multiple rooms above it, giving birth to the Murphy Hotel. ^[2] In 1886, all new buildings and an elevated walkway over 8th Street were completed. ^[2]

An annex would eventually be built across 8th street in 1902 with another being built in 1907 between Broad and Grace Streets. ^[2] Murphy would completely demolish the hotel in 1913 and would hire local architect John Kevan Peebles to replace it with a larger 11-story building, with the project being a success. ^[2]

After John Murphy died in 1918, his son-in-law, James T. Disney, would run the hotel until his eventual death in 1933. ^[2] The Board of Directors of The Richmond Hotels, Inc. would take hold of the Murphy Hotel in 1939, changing its name to the King Carter Hotel in 1949. ^[2] The hotel was later sold to the state, and in 1969 was converted into numerous offices. By the late 1990s, the hotel and the annex were in a highly deteriorated state. ^[2]

The hotel would be demolished in 2007 by the Commonwealth to make way for a modern high-rise that will serve as housing for offices of the Commonwealth of Virginia. ^{[2] [3]}

References

1. "The Murphy Hotel". HMdb.org The Historical Marker Database.
2. Radcliffe, Claire (October 7, 2015). "Hidden Treasures and Lost History: Murphy's Hotel in Richmond". The UncommonWealth. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
3. "Murphy's Hotel, 8th & Broad - 1905". November 29, 2010.

37°32′28″N77°26′5″W / 37.54111°N 77.43472°W / 37.54111; -77.43472

Photos of Murphy's Hotel & its demolition