Rossonian Hotel

The Rossonian Hotel is a triangular Beaux-Arts structure located at 2650 Welton Street in Denver's Five Points neighborhood. It spans three stories of red brick adorned with white stone accents and features tall windows that give it a distinctive presence on the street.

The building opened in 1912 as the Baxter Hotel before being renamed the Rossonian Hotel in 1929 under the ownership of A.H.W. Ross. This transition marked the beginning of its most significant period serving the local community.

The hotel served as a welcoming refuge for Black musicians and artists who faced discrimination at other Denver establishments, offering them both lodging and performance opportunities. Its role in the community reflected the importance of safe spaces where African American culture could flourish during a segregated era.

The building has been vacant since 1998 and is not currently open to visitors, though renovation efforts are underway to convert it into a working hotel and music venue. You can view the exterior architecture from the street and explore the surrounding Five Points neighborhood, which offers other historic attractions.

From 1930 to 1960, the Rossonian Lounge served as the principal jazz performance space between St. Louis and Los Angeles, drawing musicians for late-night sets after their featured shows elsewhere. This made the venue a crucial hub in the network of African American jazz culture across the western United States.