The Steel St Johns famous hotel, will be opened to the public on March 31 under the management of John M. Dodge. The hotel is the talk of the state, because it is the finest hotel in the state, outside of Detroit. It is a fine monument to the liberality of R.M. Steel, whose money built it, and a splendid advertisement of St Johns, the best village of 3,000 population in Michigan. The building including the steam heating, gas-fitting and plumbing has cost $55,000, and the furnishings $10,000 more. It contains 1,100,000 broncos and nearly two miles of cut stone trimmings, all cut from boulders within a radius of six miles from St Johns. The building has a frontage of 95 feet on Clinton Avenue, and extends 150 feet on Higham Street. The first story of the front is built entirely of granite and plate glass. Oliver M Hidden of Detroit was the architect and Harry Fildew, of St Johns, superintendent of construction. There are fifty rooms for guests and each room is connected with the office by an automatic electric enunciator system, invented by A.B. Harford, a former St Johns boy. The Steel is the first hotel in the country to adopt this system. There is an electric bell in each room and if a guest desires to be called at any particular hour a peg is placed in a switchboard opposite that hour, and at the given time the office clock makes the connection with out any trouble on the part of the clerk and the bell rings until the guest gets up and chokes it off. It is a great invention. The stream fitting apparatus cost $3,000 and radiators are placed so there will not be an uncomfortable room in it. The plate and stained cathedral glass in the building cost $1,600. The office and reading room floors are colored French tiles and the woodwork, as well as that in the main hall and dining room above, are of antique oak. The massive ceiling and handsomely carved stairway are the same wood, and the effect is exceedingly rich. The remainder of the house is finished in white ash. The parlor mantels are the work of Hugh Morris and the two dining rooms and the two office mantels were made by William Cochrane. All are handsome. There are three sample rooms, a billiard room, freight elevator, water closets, etc. on each floor and a barber shop and bathroom in the basement. It required 2,00 yards of carpet to cover the floors of the halls and bedrooms. All the bureaus and washstands have colored marble tops, the mirrors are of beveled French glass, and the upholstered furniture is in keeping with the other appointments. The beds will be luxurious, being furnished with hair mattresses and woven wire springs. The kitchen is furnished with a French range which is the admiration of all the ladies who view it. The elegant block is partially occupied by the St Johns Mercantile Company which occupies the ground floor area north of the hotel entrance. It is a stock company valued at $50,000. The stockholders are D.S. French, Geo A. Steel, P. Waldron, C. DuBois, Willard Lyon, and R.M. Steel. The company will open to the public the three stores next Saturday forenoon at 10 oclock, with free coffee for all. They will stock dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes. This is listed in 1888. (on a personal note, this would have been a sight to see)
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 02:34:54 +0000
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