The New Southern Hotel is a historical

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 ...

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States ...

, USA.

Location

The hotel is located at 112-120 East Baltimore Street in Jackson, a city in

Madison County, Tennessee Madison County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,823. Its county seat is Jackson. Madison County is included in the Jackson, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. H ...

, USA.

History

The site of the hotel once served as headquarters for Colonel Carroll Marsh of the 11th Illinois Regiment during the city of Jackson's

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

occupation. By 1870, the house that stood there, known as the Trimmer House, was used as a hotel. In 1884, it was sold to Mrs. J. H. Day. She was responsible for expanding the hotel into a three-story building of Italianate and Queen Anne style, which included the addition of a three-story wing to the rear. The hotel's size and location made it the premier hotel during this time. Day operated the hotel until her death in 1914. By 1928, hoteliers A.D Noe and Son, investor Ira Krupnick, and hotel developers Albert Pick & Co. recognized the city's growing need for high-quality business-class lodging and constructed a new hotel, deemed the New Southern, on the site. The hotel offered a central location in Courthouse Square and spaces for businessmen to entertain prospective clients. It featured a dining room, multiple ballrooms, men's and ladies' parlors, and a coffee shop. As the most luxurious hotel between

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

and Memphis, it soon became an entertainment hub for politicians, local service clubs, and various organizations. It was known to host political rallies, fraternal conventions, academic conferences, weddings, proms, and retirement parties. During the 1950s and 1960s, automobile culture and roadside

motels A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries ...

grew in popularity, causing the New Southern's business, which relied on railroad travel, to decline. In 1970, the hotel closed and was converted into office spaces, which proved unsuccessful. In 1976, the New Southern underwent major renovations to turn its upper floors into a residential center for senior citizens. At this time, many of the plaster ceilings and original finishes were preserved behind the new additions and are awaiting future restoration. On May 4, 2003, a tornado damaged the building, and it was restored by Crocker Construction Co. for the next two years.

Architectural Significance

The New Southern was designed by architect Reuben A. Heavner, who is also known for his work on the main hall of Lane College. Its exterior is in the Renaissance Revival style with a facade that features terra cotta details, festoons, and arched window transoms. The interior of the building is designed in an eclectic style with Mediterranean Revival influences. Its lobby features leather-brown grid oak paneling. Throughout the building, there are complex plaster strapwork ceilings and ogee archways. It has been 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 v ...

since November 21, 2002.

Popular Culture

A music video for the song "Stella" by Hunter Cross was filmed at the hotel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Southern Hotel Buildings and structures in Madison County, Tennessee Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Hotel buildings completed in 1927 Hotels in Tennessee Jackson, Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Madison County, Tennessee