Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments

Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Built: 1924
Architect: Schultze,Leonard; Starrett Bros.
Architectural style: Neo-Georgian, Colonial Revival, Other
Governing body: Private
NRHP Reference#: 80001071[1]
Added to NRHP: January 20, 1980

The Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments, located at 817 West Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, were developed by William Candler, son of Coca Cola executive Asa Candler, with Holland Ball Judkins, and John McEntee Bowman. Opening in 1924, the 11-story hotel and 10-story apartment buildings were located somewhat away from downtown Atlanta, in an area that became known as Midtown. Designed by the New York firm of Schultze and Weaver, the hotel was operated by the Biltmore hotel chain.[2][3]

It is easily distinguished by the towering radio masts on each end of the building, with vertical illuminated letters that spell out "BILTMORE". The top floor and radio masts broadcasted WSB-AM from 1925 until 1956.

In the 1960s, it became the Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel and operated under this name until the new Sheraton Atlanta (today the Meliá Atlanta) opened five blocks south on Peachtree Street. The Biltmore operated under private ownership for a short period finally closing in 1981. The building remained vacant for many years, though the adjoining apartment building served for some time as the Biltmore Suites Hotel.

The empty hotel building was gutted and transformed into office space in the late 1990s. Due to extensive renovations by Sheraton, there were only two remaining historic rooms, the two main floor ballrooms. They were fully restored as public function rooms. The Biltmore Suites Hotel was closed and converted to condominiums about this time.

Photo gallery

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ "Atlanta: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary". Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments. National Park Service. 2008-07-03. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/bil.htm. 
  3. ^ Sams, Gerald W. (ed): "AIA Guide to the Architecture of Atlanta", page 104. University of Georgia Press, 1993.

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