The Western Hotel is a
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 re ...
built in 1888 by the Gilroy family. It is the oldest surviving building in
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the popul ...
. The Western Hotel was designated a
California Historic Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
(No.658) on September 26, 1958. The Western Hotel is located at 557 West Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, California, in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
. George T. Webber purchased the hotel and ran it as the Western Hotel. The hotel was built on a train stop that was built in 1876 by the
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...
railroad. The line ran through the
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley is a valley primarily located in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, Kern County, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated ...
, linking
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. The hotel's large dining room became the meeting spot for the city. In the dining room: The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce was started, church socials held, quilting bees meetings, card parties, civic club meetings, and many Lancaster business meetings. While the
Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct was being built, many of the construction crews were housed in the hotel from 1905 to 1913. The hotel was damaged by fire in 1972 and not repaired. It was in danger of being condemned and razed when, in 1974, Tri Robinson's eighth grade class at Park View Intermediate School decided that saving the hotel was worthwhile. The students met with local civic groups and The Western Hotel Historical Society was born. The Western Hotel in 1992 was remodeled to a small museum and offers free tours.
California Historic Landmark Marker
Marker on the site reads:
californiahistoricallandmarks.com 658, Western Hotel
/ref>
*''N0. 658 WESTERN HOTEL – Erected by the Gilroy family in 1876, this building was purchased in 1902 by George T. Webber, who operated it as the Western Hotel. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce was organized in its dining room. Between 1905 and 1913, construction crews of the Los Angeles-Owens River Aqueduct were housed here, and it became a center of commercial and social activity in the early life of the community.''
See also
*California Historical Landmarks in Los Angeles County
List table of the properties and districts listed on the California Historical Landmarks in Los Angeles County, Southern California.
:*Note: ''Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and distri ...
References
External links
{{Lancaster, California
1876 establishments in California
Buildings and structures in Lancaster, California
California Historical Landmarks
Hotel buildings completed in 1876