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"Rooms
with a Past"
Texarkana's McCartney Hotel
Texarkana,
TexasBuilt:
1929
Architect: Joseph Finger
Photos and text by James
Ramsey
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| | The
Hotel McCartney in its heyday.
Postcard courtesy James Ramsey |
Listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, the ten-story McCartney, even while
vacant, continues to dominate Texarkana's skyline. The hotel (in 1929) replaced
the smaller (three-story) Cosmopolitan which was demolished. Both hotels were
built on the first town lot sold in the city of Texarkana.
The hotel's
namesake, W.A. McCartney, Sr. came to Texarkana at the age of four (in 1874) and
became one of the towns most prominent citizens - even becoming known as Texarkana's
unofficial historian.
The hotel stands directly across the street from
the main entrance to Union Station Terminal.
Designed to be pedestrian-friendly,
the lobby and mezzanine were accessible from the south, east, and west facades.
A ballroom and roof attached to the mezzanine. There have been no drastic alterations
since the hotel's opening day and its beautiful gold and silver Art Deco interiors
remain intact. The mezzanine features an elaborate skylight and another notable
features include marble wainscotting and a curved marble staircase. |
| | Photo
courtesy Texarkana Museums System
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| Having
had such a dependence on rail passengers, the hotel's business decreased as travel
by rail was eclipsed by air travel. Except for being used briefly as a backdrop
for a 1976 movie - and as a storage facility - the hotel has not seen a guest
since the mid 1970s. |
| | McCartney
Hotel today
Photo courtesy James Ramsey | | | |
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