Hotel Fontenelle

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. 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. The hotel began construction in 1914 and was built for the Douglas Hotel Company. The hotel officially opened on February 26, 1915.

In 1920, H. A. Wolf Co. purchased a majority of the Douglas Hotel Company. Ownership was later transferred to Gene Eppley and his company, the Eppley Hotel Company, the following year. 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. a national women's bowling tournament, and lectures by Willa Cather and other nationally known authors.

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. That same year, the hotel re-branded to the Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel. Sheraton sold the hotel to Gotham Hotels in 1968 and it reverted to its original name. That same year, the hotel was used as the headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign.

Hotel Fontenelle was temporarily closed in February 1971 by its owner as an economic move. The hotel later officially closed on February 28, 1971. 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. Demolition of the hotel began with the removal of its spires in February 1983, and demolition was completed in June of that same year.

Architecture

Hotel Fontenelle was designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball and used a Late Gothic Revival style. The hotel had eighteen floors and was 175 ft tall. The hotel originally had 350 guest rooms.

Notable guests

The Fontenelle hosted many celebrities and politicians through the years, including Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, as well as president Harry S. Truman, 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.

References

References

1. Gerber, K. and Spencer, J.S. (2003) ''Architecture for the Ages.'' Landmarks, Inc. p. 35.
2. (1912-12-29). "NAMING THE NEW HOTEL". Omaha Daily Bee.
3. (1914-09-13). "FONTENELLE WILL BE A $1,500,000 HOTEL". Omaha World-Herald.
4. "Jim McKee: The Fontenelle Hotel, an Omaha architectural gem {{!}} Local {{!}} journalstar.com".
5. (1915-02-27). "HOTEL FONTENELLE AT OMAHA.". Nebraska State Journal.
6. (1920-01-15). "HOTEL FONTENELLE SOLD FOR MILLION". Fremont Tribune.
7. (1921-04-06). "EPPLEY PURCHASES HOTEL PROPERTIES". Lincoln Journal Star.
8. [http://www.gpgirlscouts.org/history.htm History] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-12-07 , Great Plains Girl Scouts Council. Retrieved 2/2/08.)
9. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090322041646/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,848587-1,00.html Congress, Inc.] ''Time magazine.'' May 13, 1936. Retrieved 2/2/08.
10. [http://cather.unl.edu/writings/bohlke/interviews/1921e.html 1921 Interview] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-08-21 , University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Retrieved 2/2/08.)
11. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081214102044/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,866996,00.html "Closing the gap,"] ''[[Time magazine]]'' June 4, 1956. Retrieved 6/15/08.
12. (1956-07-16). "Hotel Personnel Wil Not Change". Evening World-Herald.
13. (1968-10-08). "Shearton Selling Fontenelle, Sherwyn Hotels in Omaha". Omaha World-Herald.
14. (1968-05-14). "Bomb Hoax Empties Kennedy Offices". Omaha World-Herald.
15. (1971-02-27). "Fontanelle Hotel May Not Reopen". The Lincoln Star.
16. (1982-06-12). "Death Knell Is Sounded For Old Fontenelle Hotel". Omaha World-Herald.
17. (1983-06-02). "Hotel, parking lot proposed to cover site of Fontenelle". Lincoln Journal Star.
18. (1983-02-13). "1983 02 13 Omaha World-Herald Pg 25 Col 4-6 Hotel Fontenelle Spires". Omaha World-Herald.
19. "Hotel Fontenelle - The Skyscraper Center".
20. "Hotel Fontenelle and Hotel Castle {{!}} Nebraska Library Commission Blog".
21. [https://www.omaha.com/sports/babe-ruth-s-visit-to-omaha-alongside-teammate-lou-gehrig/article_610d1562-7543-568e-bda7-7f60471f0f2f.html] {{Webarchive. link. (2022-02-08, Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 01/24/2019.)
22. link. (2011-07-16 , Truman Library. Retrieved 2/2/08.)
23. Dalstrom, H.A. (1969) ''Eugene C. Eppley: His Life and Legacy.'' Johnsen Press.
24. "Improvement Program at the Hotel Fontenelle completed at a cost of Quarter Million Dollars", Tavern Talk Magazine, January 22nd, 1938