"Reprinted from Downtown Dallas: Romantic Past, Modern Renaissance (Brown Books, 2007) by permission of the author. Books are available at www.brownbooks.com ".
Interesting Historical Details - Click here to read in ADOBE
The History of The Adolphus, Dallas Texas -1912
The Adolphus, grande dame of Dallas hotels, was the creation of Adolphus Busch, a German immigrant and St. Louis beer baron. Busch already owned the Oriental Hotel, an 1892 structure on the southeast corner of Commerce and Akard. By 1910, Dallas had outgrown its 1888 City Hall on the northwest side of the intersection, and the city wanted both a new municipal building and a fine hotel to represent their growth. City leaders approached Busch about creating a luxury hotel on the site of the existing City Hall. Busch agreed, and then announced plans for a $1 million hotel at Commerce and Akard.
In late 1910, demolition and construction got started. Barnett, Haynes, & Barnett of St. Louis were chosen to design the opulent building. A baroque masterpiece was created, unlike anything standing in relatively unsophisticated Dallas. The original plan was to call the hotel the New Oriental, but it eventually became the Adolphus, named in honor of the owner.
The proposed building was to be twenty stories in the Louis XIV style of red velvet brick and gray Bedford stone. Red granite would clad the first floor. The upper portion of the building was ornamented with a decorative cornice. It was surmounted by an attic and a French mansard roof of variegated slate. The southeast corner of the roof featured a turret with a minaret for the American flag. Large, bronze figures from Roman mythology that signified night and morning were placed above the fifteenth story pediment. The lobby was to be paneled in Circassian walnut and gold. A large dining and dance hall known as the “Palm Garden” graced the top floor of the hotel. It featured a domed ceiling, incredible views of the city through huge windows, and a mezzanine for the orchestra. No expense was spared in creating the new structure. Over $1.5 million was eventually spent, with an opening projected for September 1911.
It took a little longer than planned. In December 1911, the cornerstone was laid, and in October 1912, the building opened to the public. The Adolphus was an immediate success, and by 1916, additional rooms were needed. Construction was undertaken on a twelve-story, U-shaped annex to the west of the original hotel. The architecture by Lang & Witchell was an acceptable match with the original tower, and it gave the enlarged hotel over five hundred rooms. A fifteen-foot passageway connected the annex to the rear of the main hotel that was fifty feet away. This western annex to the hotel was known for many years as the “Junior Adolphus.” It featured a rooftop, open-air restaurant known as “Bambooland” because it was decorated with bamboo walls and Oriental furnishings. On New Year’s Day 1918, the grand opening took place. During the early 1920s, a massive, rotating searchlight was placed atop the hotel for promotional purposes.
By 1924, another expansion was needed. Alfred C. Bossom, an English architect fresh from his work on the Magnolia Building, was called upon to design the twenty-two-story, million-dollar structure to the left rear of the original tower. Once again, an attempt was made to harmonize with the existing architecture. The same dark red brick and Bedford stone exterior materials were used. This addition became known as Adolphus III, and it added three hundred and twenty-five rooms to the hotel, making it the largest in the state at eight hundred and twenty-five rooms. Small buildings between the original tower and the Adolphus Junior were razed, allowing for the construction of a three-story main lobby, entered from Commerce Street and extending back to the Adolphus III, which unified all portions of the hotel. A grand arcade entrance was built on Main Street connecting the lobby all the way through from the main hotel entrance on Commerce. In April 1926 when the grand opening was held, thousands of Dallas residents crowded the hotel lobby areas. Adolphus Busch Jr. traveled from St. Louis, and a fireworks demonstration was staged on the roof of the Adolphus III.
In 1936, the city of Dallas engaged in a building and refurbishing spree for the Texas Centennial Exposition, and the Adolphus was no exception. A half-million dollar improvement program was initiated, and a new nightclub called the “Century Room” was built. The walls were made of translucent glass. Indirect lighting was utilized, and a blue mirrored disc was suspended above the dance floor. Terraced seating for five hundred and fifty diners surrounded the dance floor. In June 1936, when President Roosevelt attended the Centennial festivities, he and Mrs. Roosevelt stayed at the Adolphus. The President was the guest of honor at a luncheon in the Century Room. During the big band era, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Jimmy Dorsey played there. Dorothy Franey Langkop, a two-time Olympic gold medal speed skater, performed from 1943 to 1957, one of the venue’s longest-running acts. The skaters performed on a twenty-foot by twenty-four-foot ice sheet. This famous room hosted hundreds of memorable events through the years, and continued in operation for decades.
In 1949, Leo F. Corrigan, a Dallas real estate mogul, purchased the Dallas Hotel Company, the Adolphus’ parent company. In 1950, Corrigan planned for an immediate expansion and modernization of the old hotel. Approximately $2.5 million was invested in air conditioning upgrades, elevator replacements, remodeling, and refurnishing. A modern, twenty-four-story tower was designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick above the Main Street entrance to the property, connecting through to the rest of the facility. The new tower was not architecturally compatible with the older buildings, but it was not visible from the Commerce Street face of the hotel. The expansion added five hundred and twenty rooms, making the 1,370-room final product one of the largest in the country. Sixteen-foot-high neon letters topped the new tower, spelling out the Adolphus brand for miles to the east and west.
By 1980, the hotel was in need of a major facelift and was closed for remodeling. Approximately $60 million was spent on a major renovation of interior and exterior spaces. The main tower was carefully restored, and the later additions to the original tower were unified with false fronts and a stucco finish, giving the huge structure a more cohesive appearance. An original and enduring feature of the hotel, the French Room, was completely restored. The ceiling of the baroque dining room was painted with cherubs, clouds, and beer hops, in honor of the hotel’s founder.
In 1981, the restored hotel opened to rave reviews. Today, it continues to be an essential part of downtown Dallas. Through the years, the Adolphus has hosted countless famous celebrities. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and numerous other luminaries have stayed under her roof.