The Landmark Inn is a historic hotel on Front Street in downtown

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...

. The hotel originally opened in 1930 as the Hotel Northland. As it originally did, the hotel operates as a full-service hotel with 66 rooms, many of which overlook the shores of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

History

Building plans and concept work on the hotel started in June 1916 and were overseen by Samuel Shackford Otis. Construction on Hotel Northland began with foundation pouring in 1920 but was quickly halted due to lack of funding. After George Shiras III and the stockholders of the Kambawgam Hotel Co. had raised the $35,0000 (equivalent to $ in ) necessary to build the hotel, construction resumed 12 years later on April 1, 1929. Hotel Northland officially opened to guests on January 2, 1930. Through the 1970s, the hotel fell into a severe state of disrepair. The deterioration of the building and a series of rapid name changes (including "Heritage House" in the mid-1970s and "Old Marquette Inn" in 1978) ultimately lead to its closure in 1982, after which it was considered abandoned. In 1995, the hotel property was purchased by Christine and Bruce Pesola for $103,000 (equivalent to $ in ) and in that same year, a complete renovation of the building began. After renovation efforts were finished in 1997, the newly restored hotel was reopened as the Landmark Inn.

Popular culture

Throughout its history, the hotel has hosted many celebrities and historical figures including: Amelia Earhart in 1932, Abbott & Costello in 1942, astronaut Jerry Lineger, and Maya Angelou. The hotel also hosted the cast and crew of the film ''

Anatomy of a Murder ''Anatomy of a Murder'' is a 1959 American courtroom drama and crime film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Wendell Mayes was based on the 1958 novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Vo ...

'', including James Stewart and

Lee Remick Lee Ann Remick (December 14, 1935 – July 2, 1991) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962), and for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actress in ...

during filming in 1959.

Current use

The hotel has been owned by Graves Hospitality Management since 2015. The Landmark Inn operates 66 rooms, many of which are now named in coordination to the celebrities and historical figures that have stayed in each respective room. For a number of years, the Landmark Inn was a member of

Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels that have maintained their authenticity, sense of pla ...

, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the hotel left the program in 2016.

References

External links

* {{Hotels in Michigan Buildings and structures in Marquette, Michigan Hotels in Michigan Hotel buildings completed in 1930 Hotels established in 1930 Historic Hotels of America