The Travelers Hotel, in

East Liverpool, Ohio East Liverpool is a city in southeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River within the Upper Ohio Valley and borders Pennsylvania to the east and West Virginia to the ...

, was built in 1907 and had 105 rooms. Located at 117 East Fourth Street, on the banks of the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

, it is one of the few remaining river town hotels that faces the river. The original name of the hotel is the Landora.

History

The hotel, which opened in 1908, was designed by Cassius Metsch, a local architect who also designed the YMCA building in East Liverpool. The hotel's entrance was originally on the corner of Crook Alley and East Fourth Street. In 1910, a banquet room and kitchen were added. A rear wing of the building was added in 1915. In 1927, a kitchen and the 'Jigger' room were constructed. The hotel also maintained a "Sample Room". In this area, traveling salesmen could display samples of their products. The Sample Room is now a small banquet room.

Notable guests

The Ceramic Theater was across the street from the hotel and performers at the theater would often stay at the hotel while in town. The hotel hosted

Blackstone the magician Harry Bouton Blackstone (born Henry Boughton; September 27, 1885 – November 16, 1965) was a famed stage magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a magician ...

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

, the

Marine Band Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

, and the

Roger Wagner Chorale The Roger Wagner Chorale is an American choir founded by choral musician and educator Roger Wagner in 1946. History In 1937, Roger Wagner joined the MGM chorus in Hollywood and was subsequently appointed Music Director of St. Joseph's Churc ...

. In 1934, during the hunt for

Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...

(who was killed in nearby

Clarkson, Ohio Clarkson is an unincorporated community in southwestern Middleton Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, clustered around the intersection of Clarkson and Sprucevale roads. For most of the 19th century, until the founding of Negley and ...

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

Special Agent

Melvin Purvis Melvin Horace Purvis II (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. Given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short, frame, Purvis became noted for leadi ...

used the Travelers Hotel as his headquarters.

Renovation

The hotel was renovated in the 1980s. As part of the historical renovation of the hotel, items from a number of local buildings were used. The lobby lights were from the Moore building and the brass door guards and handles were taken from the King-Ealls Hardware building. The hotel 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 v ...

in July 1986.

References

{{NRHP in Columbiana County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Columbiana County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Columbiana County, Ohio Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Hotels established in 1907 Hotel buildings completed in 1907 1907 establishments in Ohio