Gorham Silver Baker Hotel 1921 Electroplate Candle Holder
? Dish? Centerpiece
USD $100.00
Condition : Used
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This Gorham Silver Baker Hotel 1921 Electroplate item is a versatile addition to your collection. Its round shape and glossy finish make it a perfect decorative piece for all occasions, especially as a candle holder or centerpiece. The silver electroplated material adds a touch of elegance to any room. Made in the United States, this item is a collectible that will surely impress your guests. I am not sure if this is a piece that came from the Mineral Well location or the Dallas location. It does have some dents from use however is over 100 years old. A brief history of the Baker Hotel- In 1877 the Lynch familty settled in what is now Mineral Wells, Texas. They were 4 miles from the Brazos River so had a well dug. The water tasted funny and it was believed poison. Mrs Lynch continued to drink the water and claims it cured her rheumatism. Another claimed it cured her epilepsy. Legend says the well was named Crazy Well for its healing properties. The town was originally named Ednaville, but the name changed after people started coming for the water. Hotels sprung up. The Crazy Water Hotel was built where the well was. That hotel burned down and it was rebuilt. The citizens of Mineral Wells did not like the fact that outsiders were making a profit on their water so 9 citizens raised $150,000 with the help of 253 stockholders to build their own hotel. They managed to get T.B. Baker to build the Baker Hotel. He was born in 1875 and was managing a number of hotels in several states. In 1925 he opened the famous Baker Hotel in Dallas with 700 rooms. He was contacted in 1925 to take over the project of the Mineral Wells site. He hired Wyatt C. Hedrick as his architect to design the hotel. The hotel has a pool that was Olympic sized, above ground and filled with the curing mineral waters. It was the first swimming pool in a hotel in Texas. The hotel was 14 stories with 450 rooms and the first skyscraper to be built outside a metropolitan area. He has circulating ice water for the guest rooms, fully air conditioned and the lights and fans were controlled by the key lock on the room doors. Valet doors were also installed. They opened their doors on Nov 9, 1929 and grand opening was Nov 22. This was just after the stock market crash, however the hotel continued to do well. The hotel was made to host conventions with a capacity of 2,500 people. The 1st convention was the "Texas Federation of Women's Club" held on Nov 11-15, 1929 before the grand opening. It has 3 areas for dancing. The ballroom on the 12th floor was called the Cloud Room because of the clouds painted on the ceiling and was considered the place to be. The State Republican Convention was held there in 1952 and 1955 and the Democratic Convention in 1954. Burt Orndorf was the 1st manager and Vice President and Henry Love was the assistant manager. The hotel closed in 1972 due to slim profits, however the plans are underway to restore this historic hotel. Thanks for looking. Check my other listings for more vintage, antiques, collectibles, fabrics, clothing, holiday and more.
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