The Ott Hotel

Old buildings may seem boring and useless to some people, but those of us that love them know that while many buildings can be very interesting in their design and history others are just downright fun.  Take for instance, the Ott Hotel in Liberty, Texas. Built in 1928 to attract travelers on the nearby Texas & New Orleans railroad and the Old Spanish Trail highway the hotel still serves travelers (and the curious) today.  It is also home to several spirits that have garnered much attention over the years!

In the early 1900's the railroad line cutting through Liberty boosted the community into a center for trade, timber and agriculture.  The discovery of oil in nearby fields further prompted construction of buildings for restaurants, stores and hotels, including the Ott Hotel built by John and Sallie Ott. The hotel's location adjacent to the railroad tracks and close to the Liberty depot made it popular with rail passengers. Automobile tourists found it a convenient place to spend the night as well as those with business to conduct at the nearby Liberty County Courthouse.

The Ott family owned the hotel until 2002 when it was sold to Kelly and Susan McCain who restored the hotel to its original 1928 appearance. Although, truthfully, from what I saw I can't be certain it is authentic; however, it is fun and delightfully quirky. Today it is still in use as as a hotel and residence and their Facebook page indicated there are weddings held here from time to time. The hotel doesn't have a website and there is very little other information available except for numerous reports of its supernatural activities.  In 2005 the Ott Hotel was designated a Texas Historic Landmark.

First floor hallway

Hotel lobby

Many famous people have stayed here including John Wayne, Dale and Roy Evans, and Dan Rather. At least 20 people are said to have died in the hotel with some of their spirits still residing here.  The property is a certified "haunted property" having had over 50 paranormal investigations conducted. The day I visited I didn't feel a chill or anything creepy, perhaps the spirits just didn't want to deal with me! 

The hotel lobby features an original front desk and other antique memorabilia.  Pictures of Liberty through the years line the first floor hallway. From time to time the hotel offers tours and I'm hoping to catch one, but for now it was a fun find!

Dallas Heritage Village

My last post featured the Dallas Heritage Village and its history.   Each building on the grounds was moved there from a location either in Dallas or North Texas. The visitors guide and information plaques by each one gave me a feel for that building's (or a similar building's) contribution to the history of the area.  Since there are 21 buildings featured on the property I can only feature a few here.  But do visit their web site to read about all of them and the service that the Village provides to the Dallas community.  Just to note, the Village is closed during August so they can do upkeep and other projects.

I had posted about the Renner School on Small Simple Things of Life, so click here to read about it.
I wrote about the Millermore house on the first post.  So, that covers two of the buildings.

As soon as I walked into the Village the depot caught my eye; I'm always drawn to depots and trains.

The first train rolled into Dallas in July 1872 and a year later the Texas & Pacific arrived in town.  Dallas became the first major railroad crossing in the southwest, linked to Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago.  The population of Dallas soared and business boomed!

This depot was built in 1886 and served the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (MKT or KATY) line. Each railroad used standardized colors and most buildings followed a similar plan with a gabled roof and hipped ends. The depot is painted in the MKT's colors.  Prior to its relocation it had been cut in half and one half was being used for hay storage. All aboard!

 

 

 

The Worth Hotel was built in Carrollton in 1904.  Hotels were vital to the railroads.  Often space was limited and guests not only had to share rooms they often had to share beds!

The Sullivan house was built a few blocks away from the Village in 1885.  Mr. Sullivan was a plumbing and gas fitting contractor and the house featured an indoor bath and gas fixtures. I found it interesting that the picture of the house in its original location showed it to be painted white. Isn't this color scheme much more pleasing?

 

The Gano house was built in the dog-trot style in 1846 near Grapevine.  This practical plan of joining two rooms with a breezeway offered cross-ventilation.  The dog-trot house was very common in Texas.  In 1852 two rooms were added to the back as well as the loft above making it very roomy.  The house was covered with hand planed siding for extra insulation.

Like most parks of this time City Park had a gazebo (bandstand) similar to this one. 

The Main Street features buildings that would have been typical of Dallas in the late 1800's.  A saloon, a bank, a general store, and a law office comprise this street.  The murky day and small camera kept me from capturing the Dallas skyline just behind the trees, but it was a vivid contrast.

The Blum House, built in 1901, is currently closed.  This poor lady needs another makeover and the Village is currently soliciting funds.  The DHV is a non-profit 503(c) organization and gladly accepts donations and other forms of support.  At this time they do not plan to add any other structures unless they come with their own endowment.  Upkeep is costly!