Bowman Hotel

Bowman Hotel. . In 1889, a wood framed "Bowman Hotel' was operated by Henry Bowman on this site. A mill race running along Frazer Avenue separated that first hotel from the original railroad depot building. That building either burned down or was razed and the vacant lots were purchased by Henry's brother O.P. 'Purl' Bowman in 1890. The lots remained vacant until 'Purl" constructed this three story brick hotel building in 1905. The first floor was occupied by the hotel office and various retail stores and restaurants with two floors of hotel rooms above. , The Richardsonian Romanesque style of the building is seen in the round arched windows at the third floor, the very ornate arched entry and in the organization of the facades into primarily horizontal bands rather than the vertical bay system so typical of the Italianate buildings in the district. The uniformly spaced windows appear as horizontal bands, as well as the more obvious horizontal elements such as the rough stone belt course in the brick work, and the pressed metal moldings at the cornice line and just above the storefront windows. Renovated in recent years, the building now accommodates various office and retail uses.