Hotel Josephine Annex - Grants Pass, OR
N 42° 26.462 W 123° 19.604
10T E 473128 N 4698797
This historic former hotel annex is currently home to the MaMosa's, a cafe.
Waymark Code: WMN7T0
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/14/2015
Views: 1
The following text extracts are taken from the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form to describe its significance:
The two-story masonry volume known as the Hotel Josephine Annex was constructed in 1905 as an element of Grants Pass' premier hotel of the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Hotel Josephine, and is the only surviving element of that operation. As such, the Annex remains one of the best surviving resources associated with the construction of "fireproof" lodging in the downtown area of Grants Pass during the period of railroad- based travel and the commercial trade's needed "sample rooms" and display areas, a need which substantially ended with the shift toward automobile-based travel that lead to the construction of larger "motor hotels" such as the Redwood Tower. The Annex gains additional significance as the only identified example of a projecting bay commercial design in Grants Pass and one of the few such structures to survive in the Rogue River Valley.
The Hotel Josephine Annex, built in 1905, retains a strong visual connection to its original design. While modified on its interior to accommodate modern uses, the exterior of the building, especially the character-defining details of the primary facade, are substantially as they appeared during the historic period of association with the Hotel Josephine. Virtually all exterior windows and the twin storefronts retain original wood sash, trim and other detailing. The Hotel Josephine Annex retains sufficient integrity to its historic appearance in site, setting, materials, and overall character to accurately and effectively convey the associations which make the building significant" for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion "A.
The role of the annex in supporting a prominent hotel corner came to an end in the early 1970s when the annex was sold off by a new hotel owner. The Hotel Josephine was condemned for code purposes and accidently burned in 1975 as it was being converted to elderly housing. The old hotel site is now a parking area for its six-story successor, the Redwoods Hotel, which has been registered and adapated for retail purposes.
It's too bad the Hotel Josephine is no longer standing next to this annex because it was a nice three-story structure from the pictures I've seen. The only reminder of its significance is a large mural that resides on the south wall of the Redwoods Hotel building which depicts the former hotel in its heyday.