Muskogee in Muskogee County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)

Severs Hotel

Jefferson Highway Historic Site

— Jefferson Highway • Winnipeg-New Orleans • 1916-1929 —

Severs Hotel Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024

1. Severs Hotel Marker

Inscription.
The ten story Severs Hotel was completed in 1912 by Muskogee businessman F.B. Severs who died shortly before its opening. The hotel hosted numerous events and many celebrities over the years including Babe Ruth, Helen Keller, Burt Lancaster and President William Howard Taft among others. In 1916, the hotel was the site of the second Jefferson Highway Association Convention and hosted attendees from across the United States and Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft, the Jefferson Highway, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 35° 45.055′ N, 95° 22.371′ W. Marker is in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in Muskogee County. It is on State Street just north of Wall Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located directly in front of the subject building, on the right side of the east/front lobby entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this

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postal address: 215 State Street, Muskogee OK 74401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation

and specifically in the Cherokee Nation.

It is also in the American South,

specifically on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The First Baptist Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Bill of Rights (about 600 feet away); Grace Episcopal Church (about 800 feet away); Muskogee Lodge #28 (approx. ¼ mile away); Masonic Temple (approx. ¼ mile away); Severs Block (approx. ¼ mile away); Hitching Post Stone (approx. 0.4 miles away); Midland Valley Station (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Muskogee.

Regarding Severs Hotel. National Register of Historic Places № 82003691.

From the National
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024

2. Severs Hotel Marker
The marker is located on the right side of the east/front lobby entrance.
Register Nomination prepared by Melvena Thurman & Bill Heavier, Oklahoma Historical Society, June 1982:
The significance of the Severs Hotel is in its architectural design. The structure designed by Mariner and La Beaume of St. Louis, Missouri, is of reinforced concrete foundations, columns, beams and slabs. The exterior walls are 12 inches thick and composed of three layers of dark red brick. The ten-story building is elegant with intricate white glazed terra cotta features on the main level. The cornice of the building is decorative metal four feet high with an overhang of three feet. The main interior lobby has several features which contribute to the significance of the structure. It is decorated with stained oak paneling on the walls and columns, and a grand spiral stair to the second floor is made of marble steps, cast iron and bronze handrails. Stained oak and birch compose the trim and doors and remaining surfaces are of plaster. Unique plaster work was used in the lobby and around the stairway. The plaster was molded and finished to appear as marble. These features make the Severs Hotel the most impressive structure in Muskogee.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024

3. Severs Hotel (east/front elevation)
It is the focal point of the downtown commercial district. Considered the finest hotel in the area, the Severs registration book listed prominent names of the era, including Will Rogers, noted entertainer and goodwill ambassador.

Also see . . . Severs Hotel (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Frederick B. Severs was a wealthy Muskogean whose house had previously occupied the land where the hotel that was named for him was built. The grand opening was held on August 31, 1912. In October of that year, the renowned actress Sarah Bernhardt stayed at the Severs while she performed in a play, "Queen Elizabeth." Muskogee's Rotary Club chapter, chartered in November 1913, met each Thursday at the Severs.
After it opened, the Severs Hotel was considered the finest hotel in the Southwestern United States. It had 216 rooms, 146 of which had private bathrooms, rather uncommon at that time. Among its amenities was a chilled water plant that circulated ice water to all of the rooms. The kitchen had an electric refrigeration system, also considered unique at that time and place.

(Submitted on October 27, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Severs Hotel (<i>northeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2024

4. Severs Hotel (northeast elevation)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 669 times since then and 112 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 27, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.