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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
The Frederick Hotel, built in downtown Huntington in 1905–06 at a cost of $400,000, was touted during its heyday as the most elegant hotel between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In addition to its 125 sleeping rooms, 45 of which had private bathrooms, the hotel also had 11 private dining rooms plus the Colonade Restaurant and the Elephant Walk Club. The hotel had its own power generators in the basement and an elaborate stained glass window in the lobby. It rented space to many shops and businesses on its first floor, which fronted on Fourth Avenue and 10th Street in the heart of the town. The owners claimed they traveled to Chicago and spent $100,000 for the hotel furnishings.
The Frederick was built in the neoclassical style by James Stewart, Huntington’s first important architect. The building’s well-preserved facade is attributed to a special hardened brick used in its construction. It was called repressed brick and was made about 50 miles down the Ohio River in Portsmouth, Ohio. Hotel Manager William R. Ritter Jr. closed the hotel to transient trade July 30, 1973, because occupancy rates had been dropping each year. He converted the old hotel to units for residential occupants and businesses, which is how it continues to function today.
Written by Tom D. Miller
Dial, Becky. The Frederick. Huntington Herald- Advertiser, 7/1/1973.
Three Injured After Elevator Dives 5 Floors. Huntington Herald-Dispatch, 8/19/1989.