Alonzo Ward Hotel

The Alonzo Ward Hotel is a historic hotel in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing property to the Aberdeen Commercial Historic District.

Alonzo Ward Hotel
Building in 2015
Location104 South Main Street, Aberdeen, South Dakota[1]
Coordinates45°27′50″N 98°29′18″W
Built1927–1928
ArchitectEllerbe & Co.
Part ofAberdeen Commercial Historic District (ID88000586)
NRHP reference No.82003915
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 17, 1982
Designated CPMay 23, 1988

History
Detail of entrance in 2007

Businessman Alonzo Ward first built a hotel on the site in 1894.[2][3] In November 1926, this first structure was destroyed in a fire. Work began on a replacement building in 1927 with the new hotel opening in May 1928.[3]

The first radio station in Aberdeen, KABR, began operations on the sixth floor in 1935.[2][4]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1982.[5] The building is also listed on the National Register as a key contributing property of the Aberdeen Commercial Historic District;[6] the district was listed on May 23, 1988.[7]

From 2002 through 2004, 90 of the original hotel rooms on floors 3–6 were converted into 15 condominiums and the second-floor ballroom was restored.[8] In mid-2017, however, plans were made to convert the ballroom into apartments because it was used too infrequently to be economically viable.[8] In October 2017, a semi-truck struck an overhang on the hotel's north side, cracking one corner of it.[9][10]

Architecture

The hotel is a six-story building made of steel-reinforced concrete with a brick facade.[11] It was designed by architecture firm Ellerbe & Co.[12] The building features a mix of architectural styles, including English vernacular revival and Art Deco.[11]

The facade is visually composed of three layers. The first and second floors form the base, divided from the upper floors by a belt course of vertically laid bricks. Floors 3–6 form the middle layer. At the top is a cornice of brick laid diagonally in an Art Deco zig-zag pattern.[11]

See also

References
  1. Zemlicka 1982, p. 1.
  2. Zemlicka 1982, p. 3.
  3. Artz 1991, p. 21.
  4. Artz 1991, p. 22.
  5. Zemlicka 1982, p. 4.
  6. Long 1988, pp. 6–7.
  7. Long 1988, p. 1.
  8. "Ward Hotel ballroom to be converted into apartments". AberdeenNews.com. July 28, 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  9. "Photo Gallery: Damage after Ward Hotel hit by semi-truck". AberdeenNews.com. October 5, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  10. Varin, Elizabeth (October 5, 2017). "Semi-truck hits Ward Hotel, damages overhang". AberdeenNews.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  11. Zemlicka 1982, p. 2.
  12. Long 1988, p. 7.

Bibliography
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