The Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center is a hotel and historic building located in downtown
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...
. The hotel, colloquially referred to as "The Marc" after the fine-dining restaurant located on the first floor, is the tallest building in the Walla Walla Valley. The building was named for
Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman (September 4, 1802 – November 29, 1847) was an American physician and missionary.
In 1836, Marcus Whitman led an overland party by wagon to the West. He and his wife, Narcissa, along with Reverend Henry Spalding and his wife, E ...
and has hosted several U.S. presidents, celebrities, and other notable people.
The hotel building was listed on 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 ...
in 1999.
History
The original thirteen-story tower was first planned by architect Sherwood D. Ford in 1927 and constructed shortly thereafter in 1928.
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
was a patron at the hotel during the week of September 19, 1954, while visiting several dams in Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon, bringing state-wide attention to the hotel. The then governors of Washington and Oregon,
Arthur B. Langlie and
Paul L. Patterson also attended the receiving events including a motorcade and performance by fourteen area school bands.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
, trumpeter
Louis Armstrong, as well as actress
Shirley Temple were also patrons of the hotel.
After years of neglect, the hotel was in a state of disrepair, and was purchased by a local entrepreneur in 1999 who employed the services of an architectural firm that had restored several other historic buildings.
The hotel has since gone major renovations, while still preserving the historic value and integrity of the building. Construction on a new wing of the hotel was started in 2000 and the renovations were completed in 2001, adding additional rooms and meeting spaces.
In 2017, following the death of Walla Walla native,
Adam West who gained fame for his portrayal of
Batman, the bat signal was projected onto the side of the hotel.
Awards
The hotel received the Valerie Sivinski Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation Rehabilitation Projects from the
following a major renovation in 2002.
The hotel was presented with the 2015 Hotel of the Year Award during the Annual Washington State Wine Awards. The Marc restaurant located in the hotel also received the 2015 Grand Award.
References
External links
*{{Official website, https://marcuswhitmanhotel.com/
Buildings and structures in Walla Walla County, Washington
Hotel buildings completed in 1928
Hotels in Washington (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Walla Walla County, Washington