Baker Hotel - Mineral Wells, TX
Posted by: 
QuesterMark
N 32° 48.567 W 098° 06.670
14S E 583210 N 3630512
This fourteen story hotel, completed in 1929, was closed to the public by Mineral Wells city officials September 29, 2006.
Waymark Code: WM2ZH4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2008
Views: 119
Wikipedia's information about the Baker Hotel:
"In 1926 construction began on the Baker Hotel, which would offer therapeutic baths and massages to the many visitors. Built in the style of the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Baker is not quite Art Deco, but still a product of the Roaring 20s. Construction was completed in late 1929, and the Baker opened for business on November 22, 1929.
T.B. Baker, a wealthy hotel businessman, spent $1,250,000.00 to build the famous hotel. Some of the famous names to appear on the Baker Hotel guest list include Judy Garland, Clark Gable, the Three Stooges, Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird, Roy Rogers, Will Rogers, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Martin, General Pershing, Dorothy Lamour, Sammy Kaye, Jack Dempsey, Helen Keller, and Ronald Reagan.
The Baker Hotel has 14 stories, which puts it on the international list of skyscrapers. The Baker Hotel has 452 rooms, two complete spas, and claimed to be the second U.S. hotel with a swimming pool and the first Olympic-size swimming pool in the United States.
The famous Big Bands of the era, such as the Dorsey Brothers, played the Sky Room at the top of the hotel or in the first floor Brazos Room. Lawrence Welk spoke of his times at the Baker early in his career. Guy Lombardo is another Big Band leader who also played the Baker Hotel.
In 1963 a group of Mineral Wellians re-opened the Baker, but not for long. The last guest checked out in 1972 and the Baker quickly began to deteriorate."
QuesterMark's photos of the Baker Hotel:
flickr