Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Bigelow Hotel is a historic hotel
located at 2510 Washington Blvd. in Ogden
, Utah
, United States
. It has also been known as the Ben Lomond
Hotel, Radisson Hotel and Ben Lomond Historic Suite Hotel. It was added to the National Register
in 1990. It is notable for its Italian Renaissance Revival architectural significance and as the setting of historical events.
in Ogden, Utah
. It achieved, and has held, the distinction of the largest hotel in the city of Ogden from the time of its construction. It is considered one of three "grand hotels" in Utah. The other two hotels are the former Hotel Utah and the now-demolished Newhouse Hotel.
On the site of the Bigelow previously stood another hotel, the five-story Reed Hotel (1891). A. Peery, a local businessman, decided to build a modern hotel in its place. A corporation with 300 shareholders was organized for the funding and management of the project. The hotel was originally named for local banker Archie P. Bigelow.
The architectural firm of Hodgson & McClenahan, notable for other fine works in Ogden, was hired to draw plans for the hotel. Other projects done by this firm include Peery's Egyptian Theatre
, Ogden High School, Ogden/Weber Municipal Building, the Regional Forest Service Building, Stock Exchange Building and several Prairie School residences in the Eccles Avenue Historic District
.
The construction cost for the building has been stated at $1,250,000 in 1927.
Inside, themes ranged from an Arabic-style coffee shop to a Florentine Palace ballroom. A meeting room for businessmen's clubs offered a touch of old Spain, while the English Room used old wood paneling influenced by a room in Bromley Castle, England. The Georgian Room was decorated in Adamesque style, but the Shakespeare Room, with murals painted by local artist LeConte Stewart
, was the jewel of the Hotel.
The Hotel gained national attention when, in 1928, it played host to the Western Democrats convention. The Western States "Smith for President" campaign signaled to Democratic leaders that Alfred E. Smith would be a force in the presidential election of 1928. This event was covered in the October 3, 1927 issue of Time
.
Marriner S. Eccles acquired the Bigelow Hotel in 1933 and renamed it the Ben Lomond Hotel. It remained a functional hotel for more than 40 years. Several owners, including Weber County
, have used it for different purposes, including offices. Radisson
purchased the hotel in the 1980s and refurbished it. Currently the Hotel guest room section is under renovation as part of a conversion to a combination hotel suite and condominium complex.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located at 2510 Washington Blvd. in Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has also been known as the Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond Mountain (Utah)
Ben Lomond Peak, just north of Ogden, Utah, is probably the most famous of the peaks in the northern portion of the Wasatch Mountains. A popular trail passes over its summit , accessible from four different trailheads to the north, south, and east....
Hotel, Radisson Hotel and Ben Lomond Historic Suite Hotel. It was added to the National Register
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1990. It is notable for its Italian Renaissance Revival architectural significance and as the setting of historical events.
History
The Bigelow Hotel was constructed in 1927. The building is located on the southeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Historic 25th StreetHistoric 25th Street
thumb|350px|Historic 25th Street in Ogden, UtahHistoric 25th Street is a historic district located in Ogden, Utah, United States.The Historic 25th Street neighborhood occupies three blocks of 25th Street, beginning at Wall Avenue on the west end and ending at Washington Ave on the east, with...
in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. It achieved, and has held, the distinction of the largest hotel in the city of Ogden from the time of its construction. It is considered one of three "grand hotels" in Utah. The other two hotels are the former Hotel Utah and the now-demolished Newhouse Hotel.
On the site of the Bigelow previously stood another hotel, the five-story Reed Hotel (1891). A. Peery, a local businessman, decided to build a modern hotel in its place. A corporation with 300 shareholders was organized for the funding and management of the project. The hotel was originally named for local banker Archie P. Bigelow.
The architectural firm of Hodgson & McClenahan, notable for other fine works in Ogden, was hired to draw plans for the hotel. Other projects done by this firm include Peery's Egyptian Theatre
Peery's Egyptian Theatre
Peery's Egyptian Theater is a movie palace located at 2439 Washington Blvd., in Ogden, Utah in the United States of America. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.-History:...
, Ogden High School, Ogden/Weber Municipal Building, the Regional Forest Service Building, Stock Exchange Building and several Prairie School residences in the Eccles Avenue Historic District
Eccles Avenue Historic District
The Eccles Avenue Historic District, also known as the David Eccles Subdivision is a historic neighborhood located between 25th and 26th streets in Ogden, Utah, and Jackson and Van Buren Avenues...
.
The construction cost for the building has been stated at $1,250,000 in 1927.
Significance
It is a fine example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style, common in the 1920s, but unusual for Utah. The building stands as a prime example of the growth and economic development in Ogden during that decade. The exterior was finished in a terra cotta style, highly ornamented, especially on the sides that face 25th Street and Washington Boulevard.Inside, themes ranged from an Arabic-style coffee shop to a Florentine Palace ballroom. A meeting room for businessmen's clubs offered a touch of old Spain, while the English Room used old wood paneling influenced by a room in Bromley Castle, England. The Georgian Room was decorated in Adamesque style, but the Shakespeare Room, with murals painted by local artist LeConte Stewart
LeConte Stewart
LeConte Stewart was a Mormon artist primarily known for his landscapes of rural Utah. His media included oils, watercolors, pastel and charcoal, as well as etchings, linocuts, and lithographs. His home/studio in Kaysville, Utah is on the National Register of Historic Places.-Personal life:Stewart...
, was the jewel of the Hotel.
The Hotel gained national attention when, in 1928, it played host to the Western Democrats convention. The Western States "Smith for President" campaign signaled to Democratic leaders that Alfred E. Smith would be a force in the presidential election of 1928. This event was covered in the October 3, 1927 issue of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
Marriner S. Eccles acquired the Bigelow Hotel in 1933 and renamed it the Ben Lomond Hotel. It remained a functional hotel for more than 40 years. Several owners, including Weber County
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
, have used it for different purposes, including offices. Radisson
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
purchased the hotel in the 1980s and refurbished it. Currently the Hotel guest room section is under renovation as part of a conversion to a combination hotel suite and condominium complex.
External links
- Hotel Ben Lomond
- Photo of the hotel bar at the University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
's J. Willard Marriott LibraryJ. Willard Marriott LibraryJ. Willard Marriott Library is the library of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was named for J. Willard Marriott, the founder of Marriott International. The library building is over and houses over 3 million volumes. The University of Utah Press is a division of the Marriott...
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