The Landmark Inn is a historic hotel on Front Street in downtown Marquette, Michigan. The hotel originally opened in 1930 as the Hotel Northland. As it originally did, the hotel operates as a full-service hotel with 66 rooms, many of which overlook the shores of Lake Superior.
| Landmark Inn | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Former names |
|
| General information | |
| Location | Marquette, Michigan |
| Address | 230 North Front Street |
| Coordinates | 46°32′42″N 87°23′31″W / 46.545°N 87.392°W |
| Construction started | 1917 |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Opened | 1930 |
| Renovated | 1995–97 |
| Owner | Graves Hospitality Management |
| Height | 6 stories |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Samuel Shackford Otis[1] |
| Website | |
| thelandmarkinn | |
History edit
Building plans and concept work on the hotel started in June 1916 and were overseen by Samuel Shackford Otis.[2] Construction on Hotel Northland began with foundation pouring in 1920 but was quickly halted due to lack of funding.[2] After George Shiras III and the stockholders of the Kambawgam Hotel Co.[3] had raised the $35,000 (equivalent to $489,000 in 2023[4]) necessary to build the hotel, construction resumed 12 years later on April 1, 1929. [5] Hotel Northland officially opened to guests on January 2, 1930.[2]
Through the 1970s, the hotel fell into a severe state of disrepair. The deterioration of the building and a series of rapid name changes (including "Heritage House" in the mid-1970s and "Old Marquette Inn" in 1978) ultimately lead to its closure in 1982, after which it was considered abandoned.[2][5]
In 1995, the hotel property was purchased by Christine and Bruce Pesola for $103,000 (equivalent to $188,000 in 2023[4])[5] and in that same year, a complete renovation of the building began.[2] After renovation efforts were finished in 1997, the newly restored hotel was reopened as the Landmark Inn.[6]
Popular culture edit
Throughout its history, the hotel has hosted many celebrities and historical figures including: Amelia Earhart in 1932, Abbott & Costello in 1942, astronaut Jerry Lineger,[2] and Maya Angelou. The hotel also hosted the crew of the film Anatomy of a Murder during filming in 1959.
Current use edit
The hotel has been owned by Graves Hospitality Management since 2015.[7] The Landmark Inn operates 66 rooms, many of which are now named in coordination to the celebrities and historical figures that have stayed in each respective room. For a number of years, the Landmark Inn was a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation;[8] the hotel left the program in 2016.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ "Samuel S. Otis, Architect & Engineer (firm), Roster Questionnaire, 1946" (PDF). The AIA Historical Directory of American Architects. The American Institute of Architects Archives.
- ^ a b c d e f "Learn About Our Historic Michigan Hotel". Landmark Inn. Retrieved April 26, 2022.[self-published source]
- ^ "Don Hutson Sues Hotel in Marquette fort $100,00". The Escanaba Daily Press. Associated Press. March 23, 1949. p. 14.
- ^ a b Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ a b c Mattson, Darcia (May 22, 2007). "Landmark celebrates 10th anniversary". Marquette Monthly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Counts, Jeff (2011). An Explorer's Guide: Michigan (2nd ed.). Woodstock, Vermont: Countryman Press. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-88150-949-6.
- ^ "New Ownership at the Landmark Inn in Marquette". Editorial. The Mining Journal. Marquette, Michigan. March 9, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ "Landmark Inn, a Historic Hotels of America member". Historic Hotels of America. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.