“GRAND OLD LADY“
One of our daughters, Barbara, will be attending a series of conference sessions this week-end at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Just a mention of the fine old building brings back a flood of memories for me.
During my growing-up years, I think,there were just four hotels in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia which I planned to visit. One was the nearby Hotel “Roanoke” ,and the others included the “Greenbriar” at Hot Springs, the “Jefferson”, in Richmond, and a newer one “The Cavalier” at Virginia Beach. Thus far, I have been an actual guest in only one of them - the dignified “Jefferson” in Richmond.
_Hotel ”Roanoke” was the first of all of them on my “someday” list. It was original built l882, out in a former wheat field and from the start was of the modified Queen Anne design – oh-so—English-like in the popular view of that day.
It was built by a man Fredrick J. Kimball and the town, at that time, was known as Big Lick, Virginia - the city of Roanoke existed only as a dream which Kimball shared with others. It was an era of expansion of railroads and Kimball combined two existing railroads as a new called “The Norfolk and Western Railroad”. He saw this junction point of his two railroad as a future hub city for transportation and founded the hotel to provide accommodation's for travelers and to enhance the railroad's involvement within the community it served. The original structure was small compared to today's hotels, but it was large for its time.
The town was, at that time,called Big Lick,Virginia but .,in time s the town came to be renamed Roanoke, the hotel took the name of Roanoke City Hotel. It's appearance changed somewhat by the addition of barn-like additions It became a rambling structure of three-dozen rooms. It continued to grow as did the city.
I remember well how the company showed confidence in our nation's future well-being when, during the depths of the Great Depression they
undertook a $225,000 Project to modernize the hotel. They,in 1931, added a totally new wing with seventy-five rooms, a modern sixty-car garage, and new hotel testaments.
In 1989 , as a direct descendant of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. The Norfolk Southern, decided that their primary business was rail service rather than room service and thus it came about that, after one hundred and seven years of ownership, they gave the entire project to the Virgina Tech Real Estate Foundation.
After being closed for four years, the “Grand Old Lady” s closed for four years. In 1993 she underwent a multi-million dollar restoration, renovation and remodeling program, funded by an unusual combination of private and public financing with the City of Roanoke and Virginia Tech.
From that undertaking the hotel gained a new appearance which was still, however, reminiscent of its former aspect. The Lobby was a haven of antiques furniture, including the original Chezk chandeliers and the “Regency Room”, home for the Grand Old Lady's celebrated “Peanut Soup.”
A new Conference Center area was added as well, with sixty-three thousand square feet of conference area to accommodate meetings of twelve hundred or more persons with adequate TV, A/V equipment and other such aids to a successful conferences.
Hotel Roanoke has been the site of the “Miss Virgina Pageant “for many years,home away from home for presidents and governors, movie stars and sports idols, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Average American.
“The Grand Old Lady” welcomes you, and your family,at any time.
A.L.M. April 28, 2004 [c620 weds]
