Rossonian Hotel Explained

Rossonian Hotel
Location:	2650 Welton Street, Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates:	39.7542°N -104.9778°W
Architect:	George Louis Bettcher
Architecture:	Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements, Beaux-Arts
Added:	August 15, 1995
Area:	less than one acre
Refnum:	95001009

The Rossonian Hotel is a historic building and former business located at 2650 Welton Street in the Five Points section of Denver, Colorado, United States.^[1] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since in 1995, for ethnic heritage and social history. It has also been known as the Baxter Building and as the Baxter Hotel.

History

The former Rossonian Hotel is a historic building which opened in 1912 as the Baxter Hotel. It was home to a jazz lounge where many prominent musicians performed.^[2] They were able to stay at the hotel which catered to African Americans during the era of segregation. In 1929, the hotel name changed to The Rossonian, and was named after the hotel manager, Albert Henderson Wade Ross (A. H. W. Ross) (1884–1939).^{[3] [4]} Some sources state that Ross owned the Rossonian starting in either 1928 or 1929, and others state he owned it in the mid-1930s.^{[5] [6]} Ross had owned the Denver White Elephants, a semi-professional baseball team.^[7] The hotel ownership and management changed many times during the period 1929 to 1945.

The building has been empty since 1998. Chauncy Billups was a partner in one redevelopment proposal.^[8] It has had various owners and redevelopment plans have been launched but as of 2021 none had been successfully completed.^[9]

Architecture

The building was designed by architect George Louis Bettcher (1862–1952), for cigar businessman Robert Y. Baxter. Bettcher was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and moved to Denver in 1895 where he remained until his death. Bettcher also designed residences in the Denver Country Club area and the Turnverein Building.

The building was built in 1907, and was opened in 1912. It is on a wedge of property and is triangular shaped. According to the Denver Architecture Foundation, it is Beaux-Arts in style.^[10] The Rossonian's main entrance is on Welton Street.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in downtown Denver
• Charles Burrell (musician), who played in the house band

Notes and References

1. none . Nancy R. Lyons . August 12, 1994 . [{{NRHP url|id=95001009}} National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rossonian Hotel / Baxter Building / Baxter Hotel / 5DV65 ]. February 10, 2023 . National Park Service. With PDF including both text and photos also available at NARA.
2. Web site: Rossonian Hotel. June 6, 2014. Denver Public Library History.
3. Web site: 2016-03-16 . Rossonian Hotel . Colorado Encyclopedia . en-US.
4. Web site: Reed . Byron . February 24, 2020 . History Colorado exhibit shows Denver's role in desegregating professional baseball . 2023-02-11 . KUSA NBC . en-US.
5. Web site: 2019-09-15 . Go Behind Colorado's Rich History Of African-American Baseball . 2022-02-06 . CBS News . en-US.
6. Book: Wintz, Cary D. . The Harlem Renaissance in the American West: The New Negro's Western Experience . Glasrud . Bruce A. . 2012-05-22 . Routledge . 978-1-136-64910-3 . 209 . en.
7. Web site: London . Nell . The White Elephants, An All-Black Team, Once Ruled Denver Baseball . 2023-02-11 . Colorado Public Radio (CPR) . en.
8. Web site: Sexton . Josie . April 17, 2018 . New Hotel, Restaurant, and Lounge Coming to the Old Rossonian Building . Eater Denver.
9. Web site: September 13, 2017 . Rossonian Hotel changes hands again as Five Points neighborhood changes up . . 1930-2193.
10. Web site: Rossonian Hotel . May 10, 2022 . Denver Architecture Foundation.