Clarke Hotel - Hastings, Nebraska
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 40° 35.163 W 098° 23.404
14T E 551616 N 4492985
Historic hotel located in Hastings, Nebraska.
Waymark Code: WMNTJ
Location: Nebraska, United States
Date Posted: 08/28/2006
Views: 6
"When the Clarke Hotel was dedicated in February, 1914, it was hailed as a triumph of local initiative. The $175,000 project originated with the Chamber of Commerce, which established a corporation to construct it through sale of stock to Hastings residents. It was designed by C.W. Way and built by the John Hempel Company, both of Hastings. Bricks made in Hastings formed the exterior of the building, and local craftsmen made everything from the terra cotta trim and marquee awnings to the light fixtures, oak millwork and mosaic floors. It was named for Alonzo L. Clarke, a prominent Hastings businessman.
A 1916 addition to the six-story Renaissance Revival style building expanded its size to 170 "absolutely fire proof" rooms and included a ballroom with seating for 300. For the next seventy years, the Clarke served as the social center for the region, hosting everything from daily coffee klatches to state conventions of every sort. The grill room, with its life-sized murals depicting "Wine, Women, and Song," painted by an Italian member of the Royal Academy of Arts, was an especially popular gathering place.
Many notables visited the luxury hotel, including former President William Howard Taft and future President John F. Kennedy. After a million dollar renovation in 1987, the Clarke Hotel became the Kensington retirement complex. That year the site was also added to the National Register of Historic Places" ~ plaque on building
Street address:
233 N. Hastings Ave.
Hastings, Nebraska
County / Borough / Parish: Adams County
Year listed: 1987
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1900-1924
Historic function: Domestic
Current function: Domestic
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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