Smeede Hotel

Coordinates: 44°03′06″N 123°05′34″W / 44.051736°N 123.092709°W

Detail of Smeede Hotel facade

The Smeede Hotel, located in Eugene, Oregon, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[1]

George H. Park, a local builder-contractor, began construction in the Italianate style in 1884 at the behest of Charles Baker. The hotel opened in 1885 under the name, Baker Hotel, although Baker had already sold the building to Stephen Smeed for $12,000. In 1892, Smeed improved the property and changed the name to Hotel Eugene. It was again changed to Hotel Smeede in 1907, with the extra 'e' added to the hotel name for embellishment, and in 1914 it became the Smeede Hotel.^[2]

The hotel remained in continuous operation until the early 1970s. The Eugene Renewel Agency purchased the three-story structure and began renovations in 1971 for commercial office space. In 1973 the Lane County Pioneer Museum applied to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places.

One noteworthy guest was William Jennings Bryan, in 1896, during his presidential campaign.^[3]

A ghost sign advertising fine dining at the Hotel Smeede

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lane County, Oregon
• Walling, Illustrated History of Lane County (Portland, 1884), p. 441.

References

1. "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 21. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
2. "Historic Eugene". Lane Education Service District. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
3. "National Register Nomination Form" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 16 May 2013.