link here  | |  tools  |  share:
photo size: medium 640 new

This Side For Writing
recent  |  interesting  |  random  |  favorites  |  contacts  |  sets  |  tags:  
view large
The Poinsett Hotel
The Poinsett Hotel

"THE POINSETT HOTEL
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
ABSOLUTELY FIRE-PROOF
250 ROOMS, EACH WITH PRIVATE BATH
GENERAL JOEL ROBERTS POINSETT (1778-1851)
The gorgeous Poinsettia, the 'Flor de Parque' of Mexico, whose flame-
like beauty greets and gladdens the Christmas season, was introduced into
the United States by the distinguished South Carolinian, General Joel Roberts
Poinsett, then Minister to Mexico. Remarkable in his day as author, states-
man, orator, scientist and botanist, and at one time a resident of Greenville.
No gift of his genius is more prized than this flower that bears his name."

From the site of the currently named Westin Poinsett:

"For one hundred years, the Mansion House Hotel stood on South Main Street in Greenville, South Carolina. In 1924, the hotel was demolished to make room for the construction of the Poinsett Hotel. The price tag for the new hotel was 1.5 million dollars, and when it opened on June 20, 1925, it was one of the most beautifully furnished hotels in the country. However, during the first year of business, the hotel lost $30,000 and continued to lose money through the years of the Great Depression.

In 1930, Mr. J. Mason Alexander was hired as General Manager Director. Mr. Alexander was known as Old Admiral Spit and Polish, the best hotel manager in the business. Mr. Alexander had a formula for success known as "The four C's: Cleanliness, cooking, competence and courtesy." Local residents filled the hotel's dining room for family dinners and ballrooms for formal dances. The hotel quickly became known as "Carolina's Finest," and by 1940 it was making money....

Due to increased business during 1941, the hotel added 60 rooms bringing the total to 248 rooms. By the mid 1950's the motel industry boomed and city hotels became obsolete. In 1959 the hotel was sold to Jack Tarr hotel chain. From 1971 until December 1986, the hotel was foreclosed, and by the end of that year, the last residents of the retirement home moved out. The hotel remained empty until November 1997 when Steve Dopp and Greg Lenox, owners/developer of the historic Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, purchased it and the extensive-and expensive renovation process began."



Postmarked May 14, 1947

© All Rights Reserved
Taken on: December 18, 2011
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with 1947 1947 Everybody's photos tagged with General Joe Roberts Poinsett General Joe Roberts Poinsett Everybody's photos tagged with poinsettia poinsettia
Sets appears in:   • Hotels   
Groups appears in:   • Hotel Postcards & Ephemera    • Historic Hotels of America   
Stats: 964 views
The Poinsett Hotel

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: