Hotel Stilwell
From the time of its building, to the time that William Jennings Bryan discussed the intricacies of the Scopes Monkey trial on the balcony, until now, the Hotel Stilwell has always been an historic part of Pittsburg. Older than the town of Pittsburg itself, the Hotel Stilwell was built in 1880 by a group of railroad owners and coal miners. It was the main attraction in a town that was beginning to boom due to the discovery of coal. The glamour has subsided since then, but the Hotel has stayed.
Not many other buildings in the Midwest can claim the clientele that the Hotel Stilwell attracted. Some of the more famous people to stay in the hotel include President Teddy Roosevelt, Suzan B. Anthony, Carrie Nation, William Jennings Bryan, and Eugene V. Debbs. Some famous people did more than just sleep at the hotel. Susan B. Anthony spoke out for Women’s Rights on one of the balconies. Eugene V. Debbs, founder of the AFL-CIO used the building as a place to speak while on one of his many campaigns for the presidency. During a coal strike in the 1920’s, the governor of Kansas stayed in the hotel and conducted official state business. For a short time, the Hotel Stilwell was even made the State Capitol Building; however the capitol was moved back to Topeka the following month.
As the coal started to decrease and the growth of Pittsburg declined, so did the hotel’s business. In 1970 the hotel was forced to close. Over the next twenty-four years the building stood in the middle of town with little more than aesthetical purpose. The Hotel was going to be destroyed in 1994, but the community rallied around the hotel and raised enough money to save it. By 1997, the Stilwell Heritage and Educational Foundation had raised enough money to restore the hotel to its former condition in cooperation with the Metro Plains Development Company. The popular modern day stonemason John Henry Peoples has done much of the stone restoration in conjunction with the developers. The Stilwell received the 1997 preservation award from the Kansas Preservation Alliance for excellence in their work of restoring the hotel. The Stilwell foundation tried to keep the hotel a turn-of-the-century piece of art, and not a tourist attraction. Although the hotel is open the public, its historical significance is used solely for education.
The architectural design of the hotel features a stone entry surrounded by round brick columns on the first floor. The second floor and third floors are decorated by wide bay windows and a cornice. Brick masonry and a short parapet with smaller arched windows are on the fourth floor. Historic features that have been restored include a circular skylight, plasterwork, and stained glass windows. The upper floors have been converted to forty-four full-sized apartments for senior citizens. The most impressive part of the building though is the Timmons Ballroom. The newly refurbished ballroom is used for special community events and can be rented for weddings or any other occasion. The hotel also features a restaurant open to the public.
The Hotel Stilwell will always be one of the most historically significant buildings in Pittsburg. During its 120 year span it has been host to a president, important political activists; and now in its old age is once again being used as a center for social interaction. The Hotel is located at 704 N. Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas. The hotel and restaurant are open to the public Monday through Friday.
This history was prepared by Ben Woolbright, Spring 2001.
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