Forest Park Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Forest Park Hotel is a six story building located in the Central West End
neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The six story building was built in 1923 and is made of reinforced concrete with red brick curtain walls trimmed with terra cotta
. Following the early success of the hotel
, a seven story addition was built in 1926 that closely follows the design of the original building. A one story stone and glass addition was added to the building's northeast corner in the 1960s.
The original building was designed by Preston J. Bradshaw
, a prominent St. Louis architect who also designed the nearby Chase Park Plaza Hotel
, Mayfair Hotel, Lennox Hotel, and Coronado Hotel. The center wing addition was designed by George D. Barnett, Jr. and includes several small private dining rooms of considerable architectural interest.
The Forest Park Hotel was once famous for the Circus Snack Bar nightclub located in its ground floor retail space fronting Euclid Avenue. During the nightclub's heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, it was run by local hotelier and businessman Harold Koplar
and hosted performers such as Liberaci, Louis Armstrong
, and Sarah Vaughan
.
In 1983, restaurateur Harold Butler
, founder of the restaurant chain Denny's
, bought the Forest Park Hotel and performed $7 million in renovations. Financial trouble, however, led to the building's sudden foreclosure and vacancy in December 1990.
In 2003, a private development group renovated and converted the long dormant Forest Park Hotel for $20 million into a 110-unit apartment building.
Central West End, St. Louis
The Central West End is an affluent neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, stretching from Midtown's western edge to Union Boulevard and bordering on Forest Park with its outstanding array of free cultural institutions. It includes the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Boulevard at...
neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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...
. The six story building was built in 1923 and is made of reinforced concrete with red brick curtain walls trimmed with terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
. Following the early success of the hotel
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...
, a seven story addition was built in 1926 that closely follows the design of the original building. A one story stone and glass addition was added to the building's northeast corner in the 1960s.
The original building was designed by Preston J. Bradshaw
Preston J. Bradshaw
Preston J. Bradshaw was one of the most eminent architects of St. Louis, Missouri, during the 1920s. Among his numerous commissions as an architect, he is best known for designing hotels and automobile dealerships in the region...
, a prominent St. Louis architect who also designed the nearby Chase Park Plaza Hotel
Chase Park Plaza Hotel
The Chase Park Plaza, located at 212 N. Kingshighway in the Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri, is a combination of two buildings housing a condominium tower , hotel , cinema, and several restaurants and bars, all constructed between 1920 and 1930.The hotel replaced nearby Buckingham Hotel as...
, Mayfair Hotel, Lennox Hotel, and Coronado Hotel. The center wing addition was designed by George D. Barnett, Jr. and includes several small private dining rooms of considerable architectural interest.
The Forest Park Hotel was once famous for the Circus Snack Bar nightclub located in its ground floor retail space fronting Euclid Avenue. During the nightclub's heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, it was run by local hotelier and businessman Harold Koplar
Harold Koplar
Harold Koplar was a Russian-American hotelier and businessman in St. Louis, Missouri.-Early life and education:...
and hosted performers such as Liberaci, Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, and Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
.
In 1983, restaurateur Harold Butler
Harold Butler
Harold Butler was an American entrepreneur. He founded the Denny's casual dining restaurant chain and helped develop numerous other chains, including Winchell's, Naugles, and Jojo's.-Quotations:* "I love to feed people."...
, founder of the restaurant chain Denny's
Denny's
Denny's is a full-service coffee shop/family restaurant chain. It operates over 1,500 restaurants in the United States , Canada, Curaçao, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan , Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.Denny's is known for always being...
, bought the Forest Park Hotel and performed $7 million in renovations. Financial trouble, however, led to the building's sudden foreclosure and vacancy in December 1990.
In 2003, a private development group renovated and converted the long dormant Forest Park Hotel for $20 million into a 110-unit apartment building.