The grand Hotel Josephine has returned.
The Hotel Josephine was officially opened in November, 1893. The 23 room hotel's amenities included a sitting room on the second floor (offering a comfortable place to view Sixth Street), a dining room, barber shop and "sample room" (a place for traveling salesmen to display their merchandise).
Percy T. Booth's book, "Grants Pass, the Golden Years" describes the Hotel Josephine as; "In 1903 Hotel Josephine was a model of convenience for the traveling public. In addition to electricity, it was the first building in Grants Pass to be equipped with gas for cooking and heating."
The canvas for the Hotel Josephine mural is the six story addition that was added to the Hotel Josephine in about 1925. At that time, forty-five rooms were added and the hotel was renamed Redwoods Hotel. The new addition was completed with private baths for each room.
The coolest thing about the Redwoods Hotel was "The Caves Grotto." It was a large banquet room designed to resemble one of the large caverns found in the Oregon Caves. Again, quoting from Percy T. Booth's book, "The Grotto was a unique copy of one of the Caves largest caverns, complete with 'Marble' pillars and stalactites hanging from the ceiling."
The interior of the original Hotel Josephine was destroyed by a fire in 1975 and the building, already deemed unsafe by the Grants Pass fire marshal, was torn down.
Today, you can take a step back in time and visit the Hotel Josephine. The mural is located at the corner of "E" and Sixth Streets.
This Hotel Josephine mural is the work of artist J. Michener - what a terrific talent!
This Hotel Josephine mural is the work of artist J. Michener - what a terrific talent!
For more information on the Hotel Josephine and many more historical landmarks in Josephine County, please visit the Josephine County Historical Society's research library and bookshop.
JOSEPHINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
512 SW 5th Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
Telephone: (541) 479-7827
While you're there, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Percy T. Booth's terrific book "Grants Pass the Golden Years."
JOSEPHINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
512 SW 5th Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
Telephone: (541) 479-7827
While you're there, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Percy T. Booth's terrific book "Grants Pass the Golden Years."
Wow! Brings back memories! I was born in 44 in Grants Pass,and finally left in 1977. I remember the Redwoods Hotel, but somehow the part that was the Josephine had slipped my mind, or else I just thought it was part of the taller building. Love these pictures!
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