Gregg Hotel

• Comment: Plainly a great deal of work has gone into the draft. The good news is that it is a viable topic, one about which Wikipedia can have an article.
  :It doesn't read like an advertisement exactly, but unfortunately it doesn't read like an encyclopedia article either. Drafts like this are sometimes declined as reading like an essay. The entire portion based on the diary of Jimmy Ramsey must be removed. It's a primary source, an unpublished one, and not a reliable source for the purposes of Wikipedia. It would be fine to cite such primary sources in an academic research paper, which is what this draft reads like, but it is not okay on Wikipedia. If you don't want the personal account to be lost to history, consider donating it to a local historical society. Such groups often welcome first hand accounts for their archives, especially if you also donate a few hundred bucks. Storing things under archival conditions, keeping the air conditioning on, paying the rent, digitizing, etc. are all difficult for small non-profit organizations.
  :The root of the draft's problem is that it relies entirely on newspaper reports. This results in a blow-by-blow narrative style where whatever seemed newsworthy each week is strung together with equal weight and without historical perspective. Encyclopedia articles take a longer view because they summarize secondary sources, which smooth out history, dropping details of no lasting significance. Weigh the importance of each statement and ruthlessly remove any that doesn't help the reader understand the subject.
  :The Texas oil boom, Prohibition, and the Great Depression were major forces in the hotel's early years. Keep content that puts the hotel in context with these. Keep architecture, construction, expansion, financing, and transfers of ownership as fundamental facts about a hotel. Keep the barber shop because it provides a thread through to the end.
  :Does the number of brick layers matter? Maybe, if it significantly boosted local employment, but the work only lasted 2-3 months. Are the names of the general manager and assistant manager important, or that they came from Shreveport? Maybe, if it signified that the hotel provided service at a level not previously obtainable in they city, or if they are locally prominent names, but probably not. Is the 1930 banquet significant to the history of the hotel? Any sizeable hotel has a restaurant, and they're usually among the few in a settlement that can handle large banquets, so it doesn't sound particularly remarkable. Is Silver Dollar Brady all that famous? It isn't surprising that the hotel had a bar, does it matter what brand of beer it had on tap? A new garage is significant, and puts the hotel in context with the motor age, but are the names of the day and night managers or the five additional employees important? You get the idea.
  :A supplemental way to address the draft's tone would be to find other types of sources. I've added to a further reading section three books that contain a little information. They could be mined for material about who the original owners were, how Hilton came to purchase the hotel, and how he disposed of it. You briefly mention architect Edward F. Neild, but it isn't clear to me what he designed or whether what he designed was actually built. There may be more sources out there about the architecture. LeTourneau University may have sources related to their period of ownership. Study good articles about hotels to get ideas about the range of sources that can be used.
  :Finally, the draft needs a lede. Continuing to rewrite may seem daunting, but don't give up. The better you can make the draft yourself, the more likely a reviewer will do any remaining cleanup themselves or boot the page into article space for the larger community to do any rewriting that is still necessary. Worldbruce (talk) 20:01, 10 February 2020 (UTC)

• Comment: Even though the hotel is no longer in operation, this resembles a PR piece for the building that replaced it. . Remove the pictures of the building that replaced it ,
  Removes some of the details, especially the organizational details. For $, give the current equivalents also. Remove the list of events held in the hotel, DGG ( talk ) 11:20, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

---

HOTEL GREGG
Taken by Jimmy Ramsey
Location in Texas
Former names	*Hotel Gregg *Hilton Hotel *Hotel Longview *Downtowner Motor Inn *LeToureanu College Residence Hall
Alternative names	Downtowner Hotel
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	Hotel
Location	215 E. Methvin St. Longview, Texas United States
Coordinates	32.493438°N 94.729146°W / 32.493438; -94.729146
Construction started	1928
Completed	1930
Demolished	1995
Technical details
Floor count	5
Lifts/elevators	1
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Edward F. Neild (1936 Annex)
Other information
Number of rooms	1929–1936: 64 1936–1978: 128

1930–1936 Hotel Gregg

Brick laying on the new Hotel Gregg began in early November, 1929. Efforts were made to rush the work to be completed in time for Christmas occupancy so a force of 23 brick layers worked on all four sides of the hotel with an additional 12 added on Monday, November 25, 1929.

Opening of the $120,000 ($1,849,762.79 in 2020 dollars) 64-room Hotel Gregg officially opened on Friday, February 21, 2018 at 9 p.m. with a dedication banquet with stockholders present. The celebration had great fanfare and nearly every guest room booked. The dedication event lasted from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and over 1,000 in attendance enjoyed a buffet dinner in the coffee shop and dance music by Tyler's Ham Crawford Orchestra with the lobby and dining room opened up for dancing. Red paper hats, whistles and confetti were distributed and guests were given a tour of the building. The Longview Daily News called the event "one of the most auspicious occasions in the history of the city." Guest from all over East Texas including Shreveport, Louisiana attended.

General Manager was J. T. Harris and Ernest G. Gibson was the first Assistant Manager, both formerly of Shreveport, Louisiana. A barber shop opened up in the latter part of 1930 and was located on the ground floor on the east side of the building facing Green Street. A beauty parlor opened up in the hotel building on June 19, 1930.

March, 1931, North Louisiana Hotel Company sold the Gregg Hotel for $500,000 ($7,707,344.96 in 2020 dollars) to the Gregg Hotel Company. The deal included an adjoining lot which the new owners began making plans to construct an eight-story hotel addition and office building. The original plans called for a separate hotel building with the two three floors devoted to office space.

In late spring of 1931, due to the oil boom, hotel occupancy was over 100%. The dining room was converted to guest quarters with temporary partitions between the beds to handle the number of guests.

In the first part of 1931 the rates were raised to a flat $8.00 ($123.32 in 2020 dollars) for all rooms. This resulted in loosing overnight oil field workers to hotels in Tyler. In the summer it was announced by hotel manager Jimmy Powledge in the Longview Daily News that Gregg Hotel decrees big rate slashes effective Monday, June 8, 1931 with prices dropping from $3.50 ($53.95 in 2020 dollars) to $1.50 ($23.12) per night.

In September 1931 a raid by federal agents out of Tyler was conducted at the Gregg Hotel for illegal liquor stored in the house detective's room. The hotel faced being shut down by the agents as a result of the raid. Approximately 60 pints of corn whiskey, 50 pints of bonded whiskey, 10 quarts of Bacardi rum and several gallons of gin was sized.

On March 29, 1934, nearby Hotel Longview caught fire and burned to the ground with a loss of three lives. This left Longview with a shortage of hotel rooms which prompted a proposal to enlarge the Gregg Hotel, pending approval by the Board of Directors of the Longview Hotel Company. On June 13, 1934 an article was written in The Daily News (Longview) explaining the hotel situation as a result of the Hotel Longview fire.

Preliminary plans were drawn up of the new addition by Edward F. Neild, Architect and presented to the hotel Board of Directors. The original architectural drawing had the new addition making the hotel an "L" shape with a rooftop garden. The hotel was placed on the market to any group interested in seeing Longview with increased hotel accommodations at a price that would yield 15% gross profit with a maximum of 10% after depreciation once the new addition was constructed.

After the Hotel Longview fire rumors started going around town that another hotel might be constructed. It was assumed these rumors were based on the Gregg Hotel might not be enlarged. To that effect, the owners were willing to sell the Gregg Hotel to a group interested in constructing a new hotel which would prevent a new building being constructed. The Board of Directors decided to continue with plans to enlarge the Gregg Hotel with the plan that if someone did purchase the building they would take over where the current owners left off in planning, designing, and construction of the new addition.

The owners of the Gregg Hotel did not need the money from the sale of the hotel. They even preferred to keep the hotel and complete the addition. However, when they went over the figures which placed the occupancy at 80% after the Hotel Longview fire but before Hotel Longview burned down Gregg Hotel was averaging 50% occupancy and had to adjust their rates to compete with Hotel Longview's rates of $1.00 ($15.41 in 2020 dollars) per night to maintain that occupancy. If a new first-class hotel was constructed, the Gregg Hotel owners felt would hurt Longview because that would cause competition to reduce rates and reduce occupancy thus forcing one of the hotels to eventually close down due to operating at a loss.

When the Gregg Hotel was originally constructed it did not have private baths in all rooms. Some rooms had connecting baths while others had only a toilet and sink. Plans included adding a private bath in every room of the Gregg Hotel. As of 1934 the rates to stay at the Gregg Hotel ranged from $2.50 to $4.00 per night for single rooms. The corner rooms carried higher rates as they were larger and provided full bathroom facilities. The average rate for a single room was $3.00. These rates were comparable to first class hotels in cities serving oil communities. By the end of 1934 all guest rooms had private bathrooms.

In the November 23, 1934, issue of The Daily News (Longview), Page 1, paper editor Carl Estes published an editorial putting the Gregg Hotel operators in a negative light. Estes pointed out the hotel operators admitted the building was inadequate nor modern.

1936–1947 Hilton Hotel

In 1935 Conrad Hilton purchased the Gregg Hotel for approximately $155,000 ($2,389,276.94 in 2020 dollars). He started immediate plans to enlarge the hotel making the existing Gregg Hotel the annex to a much larger new hotel building. The new section was the first hotel building in the southwest which included air-conditioning in the construction plans. Construction started in March, 1936 for the new addition.

In April 1936 excavation for the basement of the new addition was completed and pouring concrete for the foundation began. Foundation shafts extended 20 feet into the ground. The new section was 5-stories with the support to add additional floors if needed. The general contractor for the new section was C. S. Lambie and Company.

In early May 1936 construction of the new steel frame began. Brick work began on May 28, 1936.

As of August 13, 1936, workers were laying carpet in the new section, installing bathroom fixtures and tile, and moving furniture into the rooms. Furnishings were made of maple with desks, tables and stands having glass tops. The walls were plaster with a light color paint. The second floor (first guest floor) was the only floor ready for opening date of Friday, August 14, 1936. It was at this time the name of the Gregg Hotel was changed to Hilton Hotel.

The Hilton Hotel Drug Store formally opened in the hotel building on Wednesday, November 4, 1936.

In December, 1936 the Hilton Hotel had a special guest. Famous Texas cowboy and philosopher Silver Dollar Brady registered his horse at the hotel registration desk. Brady's tour was sponsored by Seagram's which was the maker of the Silver Dollar Whiskey.

The Oasis Bar in the hotel provided Budweiser keg beer.

Carl S. McClure was listed as the Hilton Hotel manager.

Car. D. Prather became hotel manager in 1946.

Called Hilton Storage and Services, a new car garage was built in 1937 with the opening date on Monday, January 10, 1938. The garage was located behind the hotel and held about 50 cars with an entrance on the Green Street side at a cost of approximately $15,000 ($231,220.35 in 2020 dollars). The day manager was Rade Garner and the night manager was Joe Brazel. In addition to parking, services were offered such as washing, greasing, gas and oil. A supply of batteries, tires, tubes, and accessories were kept in stock. An entrance directly to the hotel was provided for guests. The garage was operated 24 hours a day with five employees.

After the Hilton was sold and renamed it would be approximately 40 years before the Hilton brand returned to Longview.

1947–1964 Hotel Longview

In mid-1947 Tom Young and Associates purchased the building from Conrad Hilton. Expansion and renovation plants began immediately in addition to renaming the facility "Hotel Longview". This hotel would be the second hotel to bear the name "Hotel Longview". The first Hotel Longview was located on the corner of N. Green St. and Whaley St. which burned to the ground on March 29, 1934, with the loss of three individuals.

In June, 1954, Earl Hollandsworth and Lee Travis bought the hotel. In addition to the Longview building they also owned the Carlton Hotel in Tyler and Hotel Marshall in Marshall. The hotel was renovated with new carpet and furnishings. Windows throughout were replaced with aluminum casement-type windows. Col. W. B. Hope was the hotel manager.

1964–1978 Downtowner Motor Inn

On May 14, 1964, the new Downtowner Motor Inn sign was erected making the Longview hotel the 65th Downtowner in the Downtowner Motor Inn chain which extended from El Paso, Texas to Rochester, New York. More than $100,000 ($1,541,468.99 in 2020 dollars) was invested into renovations of the new Downtowner. Every guest room was redecorated with new drapes and furnishings. Ice machines along with vending machines were installed on every floor. New carpet for the lobby was specially woven for the hotel and it was called most outstanding in the state. Colored aluminum panes were added under every window on the upper floors bringing the hotel "architecture of the 1930s to the futuristic 1970s". A new addition along the front of the hotel was constructed to add new meeting rooms and a location to house Jackson Travel Agency. The official opening date of the newly renovated Downtowner Motor Inn was June 1, 1964.

The cafe, also known as the Plantation Room, had seating for up to 120 persons. The Cherokee Room, largest of the hotel dining facilities, could seat up to 300 diners, and much more in a theater style seating. The Earlee Room was part of the new expansion on the front of the hotel and it was able to seat up to 100 individuals. The Tropical Room sat up to 40 people.

The Downtowner also provided a Health Center at the back of the hotel just above the swimming pool. Anyone could subscribe to an annual membership which entitled use of the year-around swimming pool.

In 1974, the hotel building was given to LeTourneau College (now LeTourneau University) by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hollandsworth. The college continued commercial operations of the hotel and dining room. Due to an increase in enrollment in the fall of 1977 and a lack of living space on campus, the college housed approximately 40 men on the third floor of the hotel. On May 15, 1978, permanent guests and staff of the Downtowner Motor Inn were notified the hotel would cease commercial operations on July 15, 1978. The college planned to have the hotel converted to a dormitory and ready to house 180 men in the fall of 1978.

The hotel closure did not affect street level tenants such as the Hilton Barber Shop.

1978–1984 LeTourneau College Residence Hall

Beginning with the 1978 autumn semester at LeTourneau College (Now University), the former Downtowner Motor Inn building was converted completely to a dormitory and renamed LeTourneau College Residence Hall. It housed men who attended LeTourneau College. Shuttle buses were provided throughout the day to transport them between the downtown dorm and the campus located on South Mobberly Ave.

The Residence Hall had the charm of a bygone era which regular dorms did not have. Former ballrooms were turned into recreation facilities, a full size swimming pool, large rooms comfortably decorated and furnished.

Due to new dormitories constructed on campus the Residence Hall was closed and put up for sale following the 1984 spring semester signalling the end of an era.

1984–1995 Vacant and demolition

Hilton Hotel Barbershop originally started as the Gregg Hotel Barber Shop on December 19, 1933. It was renamed Hilton Barber Shop when Conrad Hilton purchased the building. The Hilton Barbershop continued to operate through the hotel's change of ownership, including when the building was converted to a dormitory for LeTounreau University. The spring semester of 1984 saw the end of the hotel as a dormitory. After graduation the men moved out and the hotel building was shuttered, except for one tenant, the Hilton Barbershop. The barbershop continued for another two years as the sole tenant in the vacant hotel building. It finally closed its doors on July 19, 1986. The end of an era, not only for the barber shop but also for the hotel building.

The old Downtowner was demolished in 1995 by Oak Hill Construction out of Chalk Hill, TX. Oak Hill Construction was the same crew that demolished the old Longview High School back in 1988. They even used the same wrecking ball.

Preparations for demolition began in 1994 with the removal and salvage of all of the aluminum windows in the upper floor bedrooms. In January, 1995, small one and two story additions to the hotel were demolished with full demolition commencing on Monday, February 20, 1995, with the wrecking ball taking its first swing at the 5-story structure.

Jimmy Ramsey, a 17-year-old high school student, kept a diary of the early stages of demolition which is summarized below with his permission.

1995, January 30 The crane arrived with the base portion of the boom. The east side section of doors and windows were torn out as well as the door and windows behind the former office of Jackson's World Travels.

1995, January 31 A wood frame was constructed around the building to give protection to pedestrians from falling debris. The bulldozer arrived. The remaining windows and doors on the first floor section in front of the hotel on the Methvin Street side were torn out. On the back side of the hotel facing the alley, the covered walkway and brick wall around the pool were torn down and the doorway on the 2nd floor corridor was opened up which leads to the stars that gave access to the pool.

1995, February 1 The demolition crew began gutting the interior of the Curtis Building which stood next door to the former Downtowner Hotel.

1995, February 2, 1995 The remaining doors and windows on the first floor of the hotel were removed. The base brick and frame of the second floor window on the west side wall by the fire escape stairs were busted out.

1995, February 6 The demolition of the first floor extension across the front of the hotel building on Methvin Street side began by removal of the roof. Bottom stairs of the fire escape on the west wall had been removed.

1995, February 7 Demolition of the roof of the one story extension was completed. Demolition on the walls began.

1995, February 8 Demolition of the one story extension continued.

1995, February 9 Demolition of the one story extension completed The hotel now is at its appearance during the Hilton Hotel (1936–1953) and Hotel Longview (1953–1964) days.

1995, February 15 The first floor of the entire building was gutted with the exception of a few load-bearing walls.

1995, February 20 Today marked the official demolition of the old Downtowner Hotel with the first swing of the wrecking ball. At approximately 9 a.m. the wrecking ball took its first swing on the southwest corner of the hotel building. The demolition crew completed up to the 3rd row of windows on the Methvin Street (front) side of the building and up to the smaller smokestack on the north side (back) of the hotel.

1995, February 21 The demolition crew completed up to the 5th row of windows on the Methvin Street (front) side of the building and on the alley side (back) up to the addition line between the original 1929 building and the 1936 addition.

1995, February 22 The entire 1936 addition is in a pile of rubble. The building is now at its original appearance when it was the Gregg Hotel from 1929 to 1936.

1995, February 23 The remaining exterior walls were demolished on the 1929 section leaving supports and the elevator shaft.

1995, February 24 I heard water slowly dripping and echoing in the building. My mom referred to it as "A Weeping Giant".

List of owners and operators

The site is now Heritage Plaza, a city park.

• 1930–1931 Owner: Longview Hotel Company
• 1929–1931 Operator: North Louisiana Hotel Company (dba Gregg Hotel)
• 1931–1935 Owner: Gregg Hotel Company (dba Gregg Hotel)
• 1935–1947 Owner and operator: Conrad Hilton, Hilton Hotel Company (dba Gregg Hotel, Hilton Hotel)
• 1947–1954 Owner: Tom Young and Associates (dba Hotel Longview)
• 1954–1974 Owner: Earl Hollandsworth and Lee Travis (dba Hotel Longview, Downtowner Motor Inn)
• 1974–2000 Owner: LeTourneau University (dba Downtowner Motor Inn, LeTourneau College Residence Hall)
• 2000–present Owner: City of Longview (dba Heritage Plaza)

Further reading

• Conrad N. Hilton (1994) [First published 1957]. Be My Guest. Simon and Schuster. pp. 174, 207, 218. ISBN 978-0-671-76174-5.
• Van Craddock, Jr. (2001). Historic Gregg County: An Illustrated History. HPN Books. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-893619-62-3.
• Van Craddock (2010). Longview. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-3977-1.