Hotel Fresno Explained

Hotel Fresno
Coordinates:36.7358°N -119.7939°W
Built:1912
Architect:Edward T. Foukes
Added:September 13, 2018
Area:2.91acres
Refnum:100002910[1]

The Hotel Fresno is a historic hotel located at 1241-1263 Broadway Plaza[2] in downtown Fresno, California. It is the oldest surviving hotel in the city, built in 1912.[3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[1]

The hotel was designed by architect Edward T. Foulkes and has been described as Neoclassical in style, with elements of Second Renaissance Revival and Beaux Arts styles.[3] Its design "was reportedly adapted from that of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, known for its crystal-roofed garden court."[3] The Palace Hotel was built in 1875, and was rebuilt in 1909[2] after destruction in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Architectural historian John Edward Powell describes it as having "adopted the 'caravansary' model, that is, a design around a centralized interior court or atrium lobby at first floor."[2]

The hotel closed in 1983 due to "repairs",[4] and has remained vacant for over 39 years.[2] Since mid-2019, the building is currently under renovation to become affordable housing for 79 families.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Weekly list 20180914 . . September 14, 2018.
  2. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration: Hotel Fresno (DRAFT). National Park Service. Jennifer Hembree . Emily Vance . November 30, 2016 . November 16, 2019. With plans and historic photos. This PDF omits 36 photos accompanying the application from 2016.
  3. Web site: A Guide to Historic Architecture in Fresno, California: Hotel Fresno (1912) . Historic Fresno . November 16, 2019.
  4. Web site: Vintage Fresno: Hotel Fresno Artifact Display at City Hall . Downtown Fresno Blog . August 16, 2022.
  5. News: This abandoned historic building in downtown Fresno soon will be home for 79 families . Brianna Calix . . July 2, 2019. Includes video.