Past and Present
By Evan Yamada
Building Name
Hotel Laube Building
Address
1226 N. State St.
Year Built
1903
Historic Preservation
2007-2008
Hotel Laube was known as one of the stylish hotels in downtown Bellingham before the more modern and larger hotels such as Bellingham Hotel and the Leopold were built. This hotel had 51 rooms and was in a great location for traveling salesmen. The lower portion operated as a café which also brought in good sales. By the 1930’s the Hotel Laube lost its spunk and their primary business came through inexpensive single rooms. In 2008 the hotel was updated into an affordable apartment building with 20 apartments. The downstairs became two commercial spaces that now operate as Wise Buys and The Old World Deli.
Building Name
Savoy Hotel
Address
200 West Holly Street
Year Built
1900
Current Use
Third Planet Gift Shop
This building was built in 1900 and operated as the Red Front Clothing store. The upper floor was used for professional office space but was later re-purposed in to the Savoy Hotel in 1915 and remained a hotel until the early 1960s. The roman style red brick is now painted over with white paint, however the original architecture has remained almost identical. Over the years the downstairs has operated as retail space for several shops such as DIGS and Third Planet. The Savoy Hotel upstairs has now been transformed in to the Savoy Apartments.
Building Name
Leopold Hotel
Address
1206 Cornwall Avenue
Year Built
1929
Current Use
Retirement residence
The Leopold Hotel was the third building to be built in conjunction with the Byron House Hotels. The Byron House, in the middle, was built in 1899 with the smaller addition to the right being built in 1913. These buildings that created the Byron House Hotel were later demolished in 1967. The Leopold Hotel is a mission style Hotel that stands nine stories tall. This hotel was credited with being the nicest hotel in Bellingham during the early 1900s. Now, the Leopold Hotel operates as a retirement home.
Building Name
Bellingham Hotel
Address
119 N. Commercial Street
Year Built
1929
Current Use
Retail Space
This is the Bellingham Hotel as seen from Bay St. This building was the largest building in downtown Bellingham during the pre-depression. The building stands 15 stories tall and accommodated many visitors. The Bellingham Hotel metal sign that rested atop the building was later taken down when the hotel went out of business in 1973.
Building Name
Spokane House
Address
1322 Railroad Avenue
Year Built
1903
Fun Fact
Brothels were legal in Bellingham
until 1948
The Spokane House was funded by investors from Spokane, Washington in hopes for a railroad connection from Bellingham to Spokane. When the railroad connection never happened George Hohl moved his feed and seed business in to the space in 1945. The downstairs has remained as Hohl’s Feed and Seed ever since. The upstairs was known to have operated as a brothel until 1948. The Spokane House operated from 1904-1924 and was later changed to the Spokane Hotel that operated from 1925-1948. The upstairs now operates as apartments.
Building Name
BB&BC Hotel
Address
1100 Railroad Avenue
Year Built
1892
Current Use
Depot Market
The BB&BC (Bellingham Bay and British Columbia) hotel was created in 1892 just one year after the depot was made. This train depot would hand deliver to nearby businesses as well as transport passengers. To accommodate the herds of people from the train depot the Hotel was built right next to the train station. The building does not remain standing but some of the train depot structures do remain. The structure was recreated to mimic the original architecture.
Building Name
Hotel Henry
Address
1248 N. State Street
Year Built
1908
Current Use
YMCA
This building was originally called the Exchange Building. The building’s original purpose was to provide a centralized location for businesses similar to that of New York’s. However, the idea never quite caught popularity and the building was rehabilitated to operate as Hotel Henry in 1923. Hotel Henry remained from 1923-1942 when the building was then transformed in to the YMCA that we know today. A few stylized changes have occurred to the outside of the building adding a mesh façade to the outside in 1968 and then later removing the façade in 1992 to reveal the original brick again.
All the historic photos for this projects are used with permission of the Whatcom Museum Photo Archives.