Athens Hotel
In early 1902, Henry H. Tandy built this Romanesque Revival brick and stone building on the north side of Walnut between 8th and 9th Streets for approximately $15,000. On the ground floor of the three-story building, brick piers divided the façade into smaller bays, each of which contained an open storefront. Tandy used one or more of them to house the Tandy Implement Company. On the top two floors were hotel rooms which were part of a hotel originally called the Tandy hotel. The archway at the east end of the ground floor was the main hotel entrance.
Image from the 1917 Standard Atlas of Boone County, Missouri courtesy of the State of Missouri Historical Society
In August of 1902, Mr. Tandy held a contest offering a prize for the best name to re-christen the hotel and Mr. Milton Deering won for suggesting the Athens hotel. Columbia was known as the Athens of Missouri back in those days. Mr. Tandy then rented the new hotel to Robert C. Gordon, who had been head clerk for several years at the Gordon hotel owned by his father, Turner S. Gordon. In January of 1903, a dining room was opened at the Athens hotel. In March of 1903, a newspaper article in the Columbia Herald-Statesman commented the Athens hotel was rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the leading hotels in the state. In May of 1903, a newspaper article in the Columbia Daily Tribune said the Athens hotel would soon have a handsome up-to-date bus for the accommodation of guests.
During World War One, the Athens was requisitioned by the government and used as a hospital, a mess hall, and as barracks. Henry H. Tandy died on 23 February 1920 and an article in the 11 December 1920 Columbia Daily Tribune indicated Charles H. Early and John T. Mitchell were the new owners of the Athens hotel. They planned to make the Athens into a first-class hotel with running water in every guest room. The name of the hotel was changed to the Columbian hotel effective 1 January 1921.
Twenty years later, an article in the 31 October 1941 Columbia Missourian stated that Ben Bolt was the new owner of the Columbian hotel. He had renamed the hotel the Ben Bolt hotel and had spent approximately $20,000 remodeling and updating the old hotel. A sandblasting process was used to remove the old buff-colored paint from the bricks and then ivory-colored paint was applied. A modern neon lighting system was installed around the outside of the building which gave the hotel a bright, attractive appearance that caught the eye from blocks away. Fluorescent lighting was installed inside the hotel and each room had running water, a telephone and new carpets and paint.
Image from the Boone County Historical Society’s Online Archives
On 21 January 1976, an article in the Columbia Daily Tribune mentioned the old Ben Bolt hotel had been converted into the Wabash Arms apartment building. The new owners were Mr. and Mrs. Don Humphrey who had bought the hotel from Fred Dickenson in June of 1975. Mrs. C.C. Lightner, the daughter of Henry Tandy, said when her father built it in 1902, it was the finest and the first new hotel in Columbia. She said “It was a family hotel and townspeople would go there for dinner on Sundays. The parlors of the hotel were at the ends of the halls and people received their guests in the parlors.” Mrs. Lightner was happy that the historical landmark had regained some of its former elegance and esteem. The building was added to Columbia’s Most Notable Properties list in 2004.
Sources:
The State of Missouri Historical Society
The Boone County Historical Society
The Columbia Historic Preservation Commission
Newspapers.com
CoMo Preservation is devoted to helping homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. Preserving historic places and spaces gives people a sense of place and boosts Columbia’s economy. You can get involved by volunteering, signing up for our mailing list, attending an event, becoming a member, or donating.
