Travelers Hotel At 112 Main St.

[tetherman]

Does anyone remember the old "Traveler's" Hotel low-down on Main street near the via-dock? My wife spent much time there as a child (in the 40's) with her Aunt and Uncle, who managed the hotel. Does anyone know where to find photos or historical info on this establishment?

Thanks

[Subdude]

I think I have a photo that shows the "Travelers Hotel" sign. I will try to post it later.

[isuredid]

The Travellers Hotel and Cafe was in the 100 block of Main on the West side of the street in the middle of the block. A quick check of Google and it looks like the building is still there. Unless I messed up somewhere the arrow is pointing at the building

[Subdude]

I don't currently have access to it, but a good source for researching some of the older buildings such as this around that part of town is a book called "Last of the Past" that dates from about 1980.

[FilioScotia]

Unless I messed up somewhere the arrow is pointing at the building

Point the arrow the other way. The old Traveler's Hotel was across the street in the block that's now a parking lot. And as I remember, it faced Main street at the Franklin end of the block.

[Subdude]

If that was the site of the Traveler's Hotel do you know when it was demolished? That corner originally held the Houston Land & Trust Company building, and later the Continental Houston Hotel/Ramada Inn was there.

[Subdude]

It wouldn't have been the same structure then, since the Continental was built in 1962 and the post says the Travelers was there in the 1940s.

[tetherman]

Having been at the hotel a few times (an Uncle managed it), I would say the red-arrow is in fact correct!

[FilioScotia]

Having been at the hotel a few times (an Uncle managed it), I would say the red-arrow is in fact correct!

Then I am clearly thinking of another hotel that once stood across the street from it. My mistake. Thanks for weighing in and correcting me.

[tetherman]

Then I am clearly thinking of another hotel that once stood across the street from it. My mistake. Thanks for weighing in and correcting me.

As I recall, the Hotel was the narrowest of the 3 narrow buildings in the middle of that block. Proceeding away from the bayou on Main, you encounter the Hotel, then the Cafe.

[isuredid]

Having been at the hotel a few times (an Uncle managed it), I would say the red-arrow is in fact correct!

Yep...that building is still there

[isuredid]

These photos are from

"The last of the past : Houston architecture, 1847 to 1915": an inventory and architectural stylistic history of remaining early commercial buildings, Houston, Texas, 1980 / by William Scott Field for the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, the Harris County Heritage Society.

I used to occasionally eat at Charlie's Barbeque because they were open late

I actually think my red arrow was one building too far north

[Subdude]

Thanks for the photos. Comparing to the old photo you can see the top floor was a later addition.

[tetherman]

U-suredid , thanks so much for the great pics of the Travelers....beyond my fondest hopes!

BTW, does anyone know where the old Milby Hotel was located?

[isuredid]

U-suredid , thanks so much for the great pics of the Travelers....beyond my fondest hopes!

BTW, does anyone know where the old Milby Hotel was located?

The Milby Hotel was on the NW corner of Travis and Texas in the 600 block of Travis. The rest of the block on the east side of Travis was taken up by Montgomery Ward. It was across the street from the Iris Theater on Travis and across the street from the Rice Hotel on Texas.

[sevfiv]

The Milby Hotel was on the NW corner of Travis and Texas in the 600 block of Travis. The rest of the block on the east side of Travis was taken up by Montgomery Ward. It was across the street from the Iris Theater on Travis and across the street from the Rice Hotel on Texas.

yep, and here's a matchbook from the milby - no address on it, but the directory listed it at 902 texas, and the barber shop at 607 travis

[neuman]

If i recall correctly, this building was built around 1905 and had the top floor added in the 20's or 30's. Unfortunately, my files are all in an obscure word processing format from the 90's that can't access at this time! It was originally used as an office building catering to the cotton industry.

[houston1973]

If i recall correctly, this building was built around 1905 and had the top floor added in the 20's or 30's. Unfortunately, my files are all in an obscure word processing format from the 90's that can't access at this time! It was originally used as an office building catering to the cotton industry.

it was located at the chase bank parking garage

These photos are from

"The last of the past : Houston architecture, 1847 to 1915": an inventory and architectural stylistic history of remaining early commercial buildings, Houston, Texas, 1980 / by William Scott Field for the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, the Harris County Heritage Society.

I used to occasionally eat at Charlie's Barbeque because they were open late

I actually think my red arrow was one building too far north

the current location is club Copa Cabana the inside is completly diffrent

[isuredid]

yep, and here's a matchbook from the milby - no address on it, but the directory listed it at 902 texas, and the barber shop at 607 travis

There is a photo of the Milby Hotel on this web site Milby Hotel

[Subdude]

There is a photo of the Milby Hotel on this web site Milby Hotel

I have a photo or two of the lobby I will post later.

The was built in 1912 by a Charles Milby. It was later owned by W. Albert Lee, who used the building for the studios of Houston first TV station, KLEE.

[sevfiv]

If i recall correctly, this building was built around 1905 and had the top floor added in the 20's or 30's. Unfortunately, my files are all in an obscure word processing format from the 90's that can't access at this time! It was originally used as an office building catering to the cotton industry.

the Houston Architectural Survey (volume 1) states that it was built in 1903 by John M. Dorrance, a cotton broker, and it cost $17,000 to build.

around 1930 it was called the Metropolitan building, and then in 1931 the Traveler's Hotel moved in, and added the fifth floor.

the hotel went out of business in the late seventies, and Charlies BBQ was still located in the ground floor while the upper floors remained vacant.

[northbeaumont]

the Houston Architectural Survey (volume 1) states that it was built in 1903 by John M. Dorrance, a cotton broker, and it cost $17,000 to build.

around 1930 it was called the Metropolitan building, and then in 1931 the Traveler's Hotel moved in, and added the fifth floor.

the hotel went out of business in the late seventies, and Charlies BBQ was still located in the ground floor while the upper floors remained vacant.

By calling itself "fireproof", the Hotel Tennison might have been tempting fate the same way as the "unsinkable" Titantic had done.

[Subdude]

Note that posts about the Continental Houston Hotel split into a new thread here:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/30405-continental-houston-hotel/

 

because it deserves its own topic.