Homestead Hotel, Hotel in den Vereinigten Staaten
The Homestead Hotel is a three-story brick building constructed in 1913 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, featuring Classical Revival design elements. The structure displays an distinctive L-shaped layout connected by a single-story solarium wing leading to a pavilion, comprising approximately twenty-two bays along its main facade.
Built in 1913, the hotel emerged during Springs Valley's early tourism boom when affordable lodging served visitors drawn by nearby mineral waters. In 1919, Ed Ballard acquired it for one dollar, and by 1934 it had been renamed and retrofitted with Art Deco entrance features.
The name Homestead reflects its role as a modest inn serving everyday travelers and locals. The ground floor housed shops including a drugstore and general store, showing how the building wove itself into the fabric of community life.
The building sits centrally in West Baden Springs within easy walking distance, making it convenient to explore both the structure and surrounding neighborhoods. Note that it is protected by the National Register of Historic Places, which preserves its exterior features for viewing.
Ed Ballard purchased the building for just one dollar in 1919 during lean economic times, yet this bargain beginning never reflected the true potential he later recognized. The structure subsequently served as a university dormitory before being converted to senior housing in 2001, demonstrating remarkable adaptability across more than a century.
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