A Day at the Davenport!

My mom always spoke of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington as if it were the finest hotel in all the world. When our family arrived in Spokane, very late on a 1974 summer evening before visiting the Spokane World's Fair, she was excited to introduce all of us to the thriving, unquestioned beating heart of her beloved hometown!

Beginning at about Vantage, she talked about the hotel's famous beds, it's gilded, lobby fireplace, the famous menu, the endless role of celebrity guests...and the era-after-era importance the Davenport, held in the hearts of all Spokane citizens.

We couldn't stay at the Davenport on that visit, but I have had the pleasure of staying a few times in the decades that have followed ...and I have to say that, 'as usual', mom was correct!

My most recent stay, a couple of weeks ago gave me the chance to dig into the Davenport's history a bit, to ask some questions, take some pictures and to finally come to the full-flowered appreciation of the hotel that seemingly ALL Spokane-ers hold dear.

A brief history of the 'Historic Davenport Hotel'.

The exploratory 'Davenport Hotel Company' was formed by a group of downtown Spokane business people in the Fall of 1912 and preparation of the site began that year. The name for the company was supplied by the dynamic young businessman and civic organizer chosen to oversee the project, 'Llewellen "Louis" Davenport', who had been a bold, innovative restauranteur in town, and operated a popular, successful restaurant near the site chosen for the hotel.

Louis had come to "Spokane Falls" in the 'Washington Territory' from San Francisco in 1889, at the behest of his restaurateur-uncle, the owner of the successful Spokane eatery: 'The Pride of Spokane'. But soon after Louis arrived, the 'Pride' and a full 32-block area of down- town Spokane were leveled by a great fire.

Washington had become a US state that winter and "Spokane Falls" dropped the 'Falls' from its name. Despite the great fire, timber, mining, agriculture and modern railroads had continued pouring money and people into the region and the city of Spokane stood poised to become one of the great cities of the West. After the devastation of the fire, young Louis made the decision to stay in Spokane and help her rebuild. He bought a tent, pitched it among the ruins near the modern site of the Davenport, started an informal 'restaurant' there he called, "The Waffle Factory" and began to build a Spokane citizen's-legacy that may never yet have been eclipsed.

By the time of the forming of the 'Davenport Hotel Co." in 1912, Louis Davenport's tent-restaurant had become a Spokane institution. His elegant, leased building at the corner of Sprague and S. Post Streets was clad in a stylish stucco and tile exterior, designed by up and coming young architect Kirtland Cutter.

Davenport's restaurant was actually two brick buildings made by Cutter to look like one, with it's stucco 'cover'.

Cutter would go on during his career to design and build several hundred buildings that established Spokane as a place rivaling Seattle and Portland...But at the outset of the new hotel project, its investment company membership were excited to see their aggressive new development being led by the dynamic combination of Davenport and Cutter.

Cutter designed spaces inspired by the great architects of France, England and Spain. Davenport filled them with fine art and songbirds and prepared to seat his guests at tables dressed in the finest Irish linens from Liddell (whose linens sailed on the Titanic) and set with 15,000 pieces of silver (the largest private commission ever created by Reed and Barton). The hotel opened for business on September 1,1914 and held its grand opening celebrations from September 17–19, 1914. Ever since, the hotel has promoted itself as "one of America's exceptional hotels."

Here's a view of the beautiful new Davenport Hotel and the already 'iconic' Davenport's restaurant as they looked in September, 1914

The Davenport was a dramatic and exciting success, immediately upon opening. Louis and Kirt's place was actually the first hotel in America to boast central air-conditioning in all guest rooms and common spaces. All floors included a central vacuum system, a pipe organ greeted lobby visitors upon entering, and the first auditorium dividing doors ever devised, made the Davenport's 4 grand ballroom divide quickly and easily into 8! Guest rooms were also the first in the world to include the immediate availability of 'ice-water', tapped into each guest room...and a 'perpetual flame' burned in the Davenport lobby's famous, gilded fireplace, which quickly became known as, "Spokane's Living Room".

The Davenport was a dramatic and exciting success, immediately upon opening. Here are a bunch of interior shots I took, myself

Here are several celebrated guests known to have stayed at the Davenport over the early years:

Several of these celebrated guests have left legacy-stories, connected their Davenport stay. Here are a few of my favorites: Charles Lindburgh

Amelia Earhart

Ferdinand Foch

Clark Gable Neil Diamond Babe Ruth note: This post is still under development!!! Still more to come!