JULY 2003
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Historic DowntownThe Santa Rita Hotel100 Years since the Construction of a Downtown LandmarkBy Ken Scoville
Construction began in 1902 but only two stories were completed before Raphael went broke and Manning formed the Santa Rita Company and searched for new funding. The struggle for funding was resolved when Manning borrowed money from several banks and then called a meeting to inform them that they were all in the soup and “we” all need to work together to complete the hotel. Manning’s vision was much more elegant than Raphael’s; Henry Trost’s architectural designs featured five stories in Mission Revival style with ornate detailing and a sixth story roof-top garden and dance floor. Construction was renewed in 1903 under the supervision of Colonel Epes, Frederick Ronstadt and, naturally, Manning. This special gift for all Tucsonans neared completion in late 1903, but a manager had not yet been hired to operate the hotel. Hotel investor Louis Jaeger, Jr., offered to not only manage, but purchase the “most beautiful hotel in the Arizona Territory” (Arizona Daily Star). The Santa Rita Hotel, named after the 200,000-acre Canoa Ranch which included a portion of the Santa Rita Mountain range, opened February 1, 1904. The gala featured much fanfare, speechmaking, and dancing that stretched until dawn, and attracted 2,000 guests—a remarkable number for a city of about 8,000 residents—and nearly half of the 200 rooms were booked for the first night.
By 1930, the Pioneer Hotel was completed and, in many ways, complemented the Santa Rita. The Pioneer became the business address for travelers to Tucson, while the Santa Rita evolved into the cattleman’s hotel, and cattle auctions were actually held in the elegant lobby. A final detail for the cattle auctions in this luxury setting was the addition of sufficient straw to accommodate cattle in the lobby. There is great ballyhoo about the new destination resort at Starr Pass, which is close enough to Downtown Tucson to provide accommodations that can support downtown events, especially those at the Convention Center. But Downtown Tucson needs another major hotel to enable the convention center to become more competitive and attract larger groups. One of the goals of Rio Nuevo is to develop more hotel space to support the TCC and other attractions. History may be about to repeat what occurred at the turn of the 20th century, when the Santa Rita came to fruition only because the City stepped forward to donate land. A cold December in 1972 marked the demise of Mr. Manning’s elegant gift to Tucson. The original 1904 hotel, including the two-story pillared lobby, was demolished, with a 1917 addition remaining as the only earlier element. Unfortunately, 1970’s values dictated that much of this landmark would be destroyed to make way for parking, drive-in entries, and a new restaurant and bar. Still, the hotel, now operating as the Clarion Santa Rita Hotel & Suites, continues to serve visitors to Downtown Tucson. It features 161 guest rooms and the popular Café Poca Cosa restaurant, and was renovated in 1998. Greetings From The Past
“Looking north on Scott Street in Downtown Tucson, Arizona, showing the Santa Rita Hotel and the Post Office to the extreme left.” |
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uring a hot July one hundred years ago, Levi Manning, operating as the Santa Rita Company, was constructing the most elegant hotel in Tucson’s development, the Santa Rita Hotel. The endeavor to build a landmark hotel posed some of the same problems that Downtown Tucson is struggling with today concerning the construction of another hotel as part of the Rio Nuevo Project.
Visitors in 1901 Tucson complained about the city’s lack of first-class accommodations. One influential Los Angeles businessman, L.V. Raphael, was literally bitten by the bug (bedbug) to build a landmark for Tucson. He approached the Old Pueblo’s top business leader, Mr. Manning, to exercise his local influence with the business community and city council. Tucson was just entering the 20th century and needed a large destination hotel rather than a scattering of accommodations, many featuring questionable hospitality and comfort. Money was the big concern, but Raphael would build the hotel if the city could donate a suitable site. Levi Manning championed for a location on the old military plaza which some citizens wanted to be dedicated as a park. After much argument and a court ruling, the city broke the plaza into parcels for development, including a site donated for the modern new hotel. Today this area is the northern portion of Armory Park which includes the Children’s Museum (Carnegie Library), the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Temple of Music and Art.
The elegant interior of the Santa Rita was as dramatic as the exterior, and the lobby featured two-story marble columns and exquisite detail work. Early bird’s eye photographs of Tucson dramatically display how the hotel towered over an essentially one or two-story community.