San Carlos Hotel, formerly on the National Register of Historic Places. Demolished in 1994
The San Carlos Hotel was a seven-story building in Pensacola that opened in 1910 and featured Mediterranean Revival style architecture. With 157 rooms, its own water system, and a facade of ceramic tiles and stucco, it was a modern lodging with advanced amenities for its time.
The hotel was founded in 1909 by businessmen James Muldon and Frasier Bingham and designed by New York architect William Lee Stoddart. It closed in 1982, remained vacant for many years, and was demolished in 1993, with a federal courthouse building later constructed on the site.
The hotel took its name from San Carlos, a reference to Florida's Spanish past and Pensacola's local heritage. The name was meant to evoke historical pride and connection, making the building a symbol of the city's identity.
The site of the hotel is now located on Palafox Street, where a federal courthouse building stands today and can be visited. Visitors can learn about its history through local stories and view old photographs of the building displayed in museums or during downtown walking tours.
The hotel earned the nickname 'The Gray Lady' because of its tall, slender shape and pale color, making it a local landmark. The nickname showed how much residents connected with the building and wove it into their memories of the city.
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