Hotel Marshall

210 E. Houston, Marshall

Sanborn Maps:

Architectural Survey

The 1930 Hotel Marshall is an eleven-story brick, Mission Renaissance structure.

Historical Background

Built in 1930 by local department store owner Sam Perkins, the hotel, designed by Wyatt Hedrick from Fort Worth, was once said to be "one of the most attractive hotels to be found in any town this size in the entire southwest." (Hotel Marshall File, Harrison County Archives). The hotel was built on property adjoing the Perkins Brothers' Store. In 1949, a fire destroyed some of the hotel, as well as completely burned the Perkins Brother's Co. department store on the lower level. In 1956, Earl Hollingsworth purchased the hotel and renovated it, adding a swimming pool as well as two first-floor wings which included a coffee shop overlooking the pool and the Marshall Club. Two factors that caused the Hotel Marshall to go out of business was motels were being built on U.S. 59, Texas 43 and I-20 during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Also, the new Marshall Country Club northeast of town offered golf, which took away many of the Marshall Club members.

Joe Anthony owned the hotel in 1946 when Max Lale arrived in Marshall. Lale and Mayor Audrey Kariel met with Joe about renovations which resulted in Lale investing in the 1950s scheme which contained a roof garden. During this time the Hotel housed many events. The U.S. House and Senate were led by Democrats in 1958, and both the speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn and the Senate Majority leader, Lyndon B. Johnson, had a dinner event on the roof garden at the Hotel Marshall. According to Jean Hyde, an original founder of Marshall's Bellmont dance club in 1938, she said dances were held from midnight to 6 am to avoid heat due to no air condition. After 1941 much of the social scene disappeared due to WWII. But it revived and the 1950s and 1960s saw many a dance held at Hotel on the roof top with live swing bands.

East Texas Baptist College purchased all shares of the stock of Marshall-Hotel Inc in 1972. The ETBC President at the time, Howard C. Benneett, had originally wanted to use it for some type of college facility. It was used for a boys dormitory, but due too many security issues, ETBC built Fry Hall on campus. In 1979, the ETBC's new president, Jerry Dawson sold the hotel to the First National Bank.

In 2004 on New Years Eve there was a ball drop with live music to celebrate the successfull completion of the hotel's massive renovation. Although some of the top floors was not quite finished, bottom floor was complete and open for champagen toasts. The hotel's long renovation project was officially completed in 2006. The Stottford House restaurant occupies part of the downtstairs, but the rest of the building remains empty as of 2013.