Will Rogers Hotel - Claremore, OK - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Will Rogers Hotel stands at the intersection of W. Will Rogers Blvd. and S. Lynn Riggs Blvd. It was constructed in 1930 and designed by the renowned architects Hawk & Parr in the Mission Spanish Colonial Revival style. In this time frame, the "radium" waters found in Claremore were popular and people came from all around to the town of Claremore, where its mineral waters were thought to have curative powers. (In reality, there was no "radium" in the waters.)

This is a multi-level building, with the hotel portion six stories and the east half three and five stories. It is built of red brick, faced with buff brick. The original hotel entrance was at the northwest corner, with the entrance to the shops on the south west side. It was placed on the NRHP in 1994 and at that time was vacant and being renovated by its new owners, the Rogers County Historical Society. Today, it is occupied by senior apartments. The portion of the buiding once occupied by a five-story Montgomery Ward's department store is currently vacant and for lease. There are shops located on the first floor of the hotel. When the hotel was flourishing, these shops included at various times, a coffee shop, drug store, barber shop and beauty shop.

The hotel originally contained 78 room, with 7 apartments. The first floor contained shops, the second housed a mezzanine, ballroom and guest rooms, and the third to fifth floors held guest rooms. The sixth floor contained radium water baths, showers and massage rooms. On the roof were tanks for the water, two elevator shafts and at one time, a heliport. Today, the elevator shaft on the east side still reads "Will Rogers Hotel / Radium Water Bath Massages". The hotel continued in operation from 1930 to the 1980's, after which it fell into disrepair until purchased and renovated by the Historical Society.

The building has single one-over-one wood-framed windows throughout the hotel portion. Rows of tan-colored standing brick are located between each level of windows. Terra cotta shields and decorative items are placed on the walls at various levels. Three windows on the first floor to the left of the shops entrance have arched terra cotta carved panels. The shops entrance has a heavy wood flat canopy which hangs by chains. Above this entrance, the windows have decorative terra cotta window surrounds. At the roof on the southwest corner, an ornate, symbolic bell tower carries the Mission theme. The original three-story high lighted sign for the hotel is gone. The third-floor windows on the original Montgomery Ward store portion are large and set in triples. Above the entrance to the store is a row of large clerestory, exposed.

The refurbishing of the Will Rogers Hotel was a huge and beautifully-crafted project by the Historical Society and the people of Claremore.

Street address: 524 W. Will Rogers Blvd. Claremore, OK USA 74018 County / Borough / Parish: Rogers County Year listed: 1994 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Commerce Periods of significance: 1929-1944 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Domestic Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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