The Bigelow Hotel is a historic
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
located at 2510 Washington Blvd. in
Ogden,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Opened in 1927, it was known from 1933-2017 as the
Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laomainn, 'Beacon Mountain'), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Me ...
Hotel. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1990. It is notable for its
Italian Renaissance Revival
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ...
architectural significance and as the setting of historical events.
[
] The hotel was a member of
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, owns several hotel brands ranging from upscale to economy. As of ...
' Ascend Collection. In 2019 it was converted to The Bigelow Apartments.
History
The Bigelow Hotel opened in 1927. It has remained the largest hotel in the city of Ogden since the time of its construction. It is considered one of three "grand hotels" in Utah. The other two hotels are the former
Hotel Utah and the now-demolished
Newhouse Hotel.
On the site of the Bigelow previously stood another hotel, the five-story Reed Hotel (1891). A. Peery, a local businessman, decided to build a modern hotel in its place. A corporation with 300 shareholders was organized for the funding and management of the project. The hotel was originally named for local banker Archie P. Bigelow.
The architectural firm of
Hodgson & McClenahan, notable for other fine works in Ogden, was hired to draw plans for the hotel. Other projects done by this firm include
Peery's Egyptian Theatre
Peery's Egyptian Theater is a movie palace located in Ogden, Utah, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
History
Peery's Egyptian Theater was built after the fiery demise of the Arlington Hotel in ...
,
Ogden High School
Ogden High School is an Art Deco secondary school located in Ogden, Utah, educating students in grades 10–12. Operated by the Ogden City School District, Ogden High enrolls approximately 1,250 students each year. The graduation rate has increa ...
, Ogden/Weber Municipal Building, the
Regional Forest Service Building, Stock Exchange Building and several Prairie School residences in the
Eccles Avenue Historic District. The construction cost for the building has been stated at $1,250,000 in 1927.
It is a fine example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style, common in the 1920s, but unusual for Utah. The building stands as a prime example of the growth and economic development in Ogden during that decade. The exterior was finished in a terra cotta style, highly ornamented, especially on the sides that face 25th Street and Washington Boulevard.
Inside, themes ranged from an Arabic-style coffee shop to a Florentine Palace ballroom. A meeting room for businessmen's clubs offered a touch of old Spain, while the English Room used old wood paneling influenced by a room in
Bromley Palace
Bromley Palace (also known as the Bishop's Palace) is a manor house in Bromley, London Borough of Bromley; and was the residence of the Bishops of Rochester from the 12th century to 1845. The building, which is now part of Bromley Civic centre, is ...
, England. The Georgian Room was decorated in
Adamesque style, but the Shakespeare Room, with murals painted by local artist
LeConte Stewart __NOTOC__
LeConte Stewart (April 15, 1891 – June 6, 1990) was a Latter-day Saint artist primarily known for his landscapes of rural Utah. His media included oils, watercolors, pastel and charcoal, as well as etchings, linocuts, and lithographs ...
, was the jewel of the Hotel.
The Hotel gained national attention when, in 1928, it played host to the Western Democrats convention. The Western States "Smith for President" campaign signaled to Democratic leaders that
Alfred E. Smith would be a force in the presidential election of 1928. This event was covered in the October 3, 1927 issue of
''Time''.
Marriner S. Eccles acquired the Bigelow Hotel in 1933 and renamed it the Ben Lomond Hotel.
It remained a functional hotel for more than 40 years. Several owners, including
Weber County, have used it for different purposes, including offices.
Radisson purchased the hotel in the 1980s and refurbished it. The hotel returned to its original name, after more than 80 years, in 2017.
In 2019, the hotel was converted into an apartment complex, making it the last of Utah's trio of "grand hotels" to cease its original function.
References
External links
Official websitePhoto of the hotel barat the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
's
J. Willard Marriott Library Digital Collections
{{Ogden, Utah
Buildings and structures in Ogden, Utah
History of Utah
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah
Hotel buildings completed in 1927
Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United States
Hotels in Utah
National Register of Historic Places in Weber County, Utah
1927 establishments in Utah