The Crescent Hotel & Spa
May 20, 1886...
America's newest and most luxurious hotel built at a cost of $294,000.
It was two years ago that Powell Clayton and his associates chose the site of the new Crescent Hotel... twenty seven acres at the north end of West Mountain, a majestic location overlooking the valley. The commissioning of Isaac S. Taylor as architect was announced and construction commenced. Special wagons were constructed to transport the huge pieces of limestone from the quarry site on White River near Beaver. Mr. O'Shawnessey, the spokesman of the imported group of Irish masons predicts, "The eighteen inch thick walls of the Crescent, fitted without the use of mortar, would withstand the destructive forces of time and retain its original beauty for many years to come." The property is lighted with Edison lamps, furnished with electric bells, heated with steam and open grates, has a hydraulic elevator, and is truly a showplace of today's conveniences.
- Eureka Springs Echo
The article above announced the opening of the wonderful resort. The Crescent Hotel today, recognized as one [of] the few historic hotels of America[,] has undergone several personalities, including the operation of a seasonal girls school, the Crescent College and Conservatory and that of a cancer hospital from 1937-1939. In 1997 however, Martin
and Elise Roenick saved the hotel from a sad decline and initiated an aggressive restoration project to recapture the elegance, protecting the irreplaceable. Marty Roenick so perfectly described at the time of purchase his goal[,] "Elise and I have a vision to take the Crescent Hotel in five years to where it was nearly a century ago." In 2002, this feat has been accomplished as the Crescent Hotel has reopened to its full capacity for the first time in over 75 years.Erected by Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Community Development Partnership.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1886.
Location. 36° 24.506′ N, 93° 44.251′ W. Marker is in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in Carroll County. Marker is on Prospect Avenue, 0.1 miles north of Crescent Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Prospect Avenue, Eureka Springs AR 72632, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Carnegie Library (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Timeless Place (about 400 feet away); Crescent Spring and Trail (about 500 feet away); Avarana (about 500 feet away); Clayton-Becker House (about 600 feet away); Bridgeford House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Harding Spring (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grotto Spring (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eureka Springs.
Regarding The Crescent Hotel & Spa. The Crescent Hotel is a contributing building to the Eureka Springs Historic District.
Also see . . .
1. The Crescent Hotel & Spa. (Submitted on January 4, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Eureka Springs History. (Submitted on January 4, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 537 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 4, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.