Hotel Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Hotel Charlotte
Location 327 W. Trade St., Charlotte, North Carolina
Coordinates 35°13′43″N 80°50′44″W / 35.22861°N 80.84556°WCoordinates: 35°13′43″N 80°50′44″W / 35.22861°N 80.84556°W
Built 1924
Built by Jones,J.A.
Architect William Lee Stoddart
Demolished November 6, 1988
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 79003344[1]
Added to NRHP July 2, 1979

Hotel Charlotte was a 13 story hotel in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which originally opened in 1924.[2][3] It was located on the corner of Trade Street and Poplar Street in the Uptown area of Charlotte.

While primarily known by the name "Hotel Charlotte," it also operated under the names "Queen Charlotte Hotel" and "White House Inn." It closed for business on December 31, 1973.[4] It was designed by noted architect William Lee Stoddart, and was a steel frame building sheathed with sections of gray granite and a buff colored brick. It housed 250 guest rooms.[5]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1979.[1]

In the years following its closure, attempts were made to find developers who could rehabilitate and preserve the structure. However as the building languished it was severely vandalized and much of its interior plumbing and wiring stolen by looters. Hotel Charlotte was imploded on November 6, 1988.[6] Illusionist David Copperfield used the implosion as the setting for his escape in the TV Special "The Explosive Encounter."[7] Demolition of the building has been cited by critics as being symbolic of the city's disinterest in preserving its past.

A restaurant of the same name was created in its honor and reused many interior pieces from the original hotel. The restaurant ceased operations on January 29, 2011.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  2. ↑ Emporis.com
  3. ↑ Architects Report
  4. ↑ Photo History
  5. ↑ Edward S. Perzel (April 1979). "Hotel Charlotte" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
  6. ↑ NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES in NC by County
  7. ↑ Buck, Jerry (March 3, 1989). "Copperfield: Magician denies illusions employ camera tricks". The Lewiston Journal. Associated Press. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ After 31 years, Hotel Charlotte packs it in

External links