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Overview

In 1878, the United States Hotel catered to a working-class clientele. In that year, many men in the building trades lodged here. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1878, [Los Angeles: Mirror Printing, Ruling and Binding House], pp. 26-27.) It stood across the North Main Street from the Temple Block #2, a leading commercial building of its day.

Building History

The United States Hotel was one of three operating in Los Angeles, c. 1860. All located on Main Street, they included the Bella Union and the Lafayette Hotel. (See John W. Robinson, Los Angeles in Civil War Days, 1860-1865, [Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2013], p. 18.)

Louis Messmer operated the US Hotel c. 1864-1866. A Los Daily News newspaper advertisement dated 11/16/1864 indicated that the hotel had recently been reconstructed: “Strangers and the old patrons of this popular Hotel, are informed that the Hotel is REBUILT, two stories high, with high and airy bed-rooms, and is refurnished throughout with Spring Beds, for the repose of the weary.” The management encouraged the occupancy of miners: “Miners coming from or going to the mines of San Gabriel, Holcomb, Mohave or Colorado, will find this a convenient place to meet their friends, or to obtain desirable information.” Among the amenities listed in the ad included a billiard room and bar, a corral for guests' horses, and a bakery located next door. (See United States Hotel advertisement, Los Angeles Daily News, 04/17/1866, p. 3.)

In 1881, Hammel and Denker operated the United States Hotel, located on the southeast corner of Main and Requena Streets in Los Angeles, CA. (See Los Angeles, California, City and County Directory, 1881-1882, [Los Angeles: Southern California Directory Company, 1881], p. 172.)

The United States Hotel was still operating in 1911, with John G. Althouse as its manager. In 1911, the street address was 168-170 North Main Street in Los Angeles.

Building Notes

A Los Angeles Herald newspaper story of 1874, indicated that the "new" US Hotel was the site of an art exhibition in 1874: “Mr. Chas. Kaiser, a former resident of Los Angeles, has just arrived in this city from Ecuador, South America, bringing with him a magnificent stock of oil paintings, which he proposes to place in the market here. We were yesterday favored with a look through Mr. Kaiser’s gallery, established in the new U.S. Hotel building, corner of Requena and Los Angeles streets. The paintings are of Italian, French and Spanish execution, and, for real intrinsic merit, we doubt not, have never been equaled by any stock of the kind ever brought to Southern California. They are all of large size, with designs illustrative of historical, biblical and poetic subjects, and must contain some suited to every taste. Mr. Kaiser will have his collection ready for exhibition and sale probably to-night or to-morrow, due notice of which will be given through the papers. For the present, an admission price of twenty-five cents will be charged. The works will all be be numbered and catalogued, so as to facilitate the examination and sale. After a reasonable time, should the paintings not all be disposed of at private sale, the remainder will be sold at public auction. We advise all lovers of art to call at Mr. Kaiser’s room and examine for their own satisfaction this fine collection. (See “Fine Art,” Los Angeles Herald, 08/26/1874, p. 3.)

The extremely ornate, Italianate United States Hotel dated c. 1878. The three-story hotel was notable for its profusion of brackets, corbel tables and oriel windows. On one end, a tower with a mansard roof lit by l'oeil de boeuf windows, poked up another story to signal the hotel's location to travelers.

Alteration

As noted above, a newspaper advertisement of 11/16/1864 indicated that the United States Hotel had been "rebuilt, two stories high." (See United States Hotel advertisement, Los Angeles Daily News, 04/17/1866, p. 3.)

The hotel advertised itself as the "New United States Hotel" in 1893, suggesting that it may have had a recent renovation at that time.

Demolition

The hotel was demolished.

PCAD id: 353