Trinidad, Colorado - A Historic Building Survey
Grand Union Hotel Building
Map location #14.
During the last three decades of the 19th century many fine, luxurious hotels were built in booming towns throughout the state of Colorado. Trinidad was no exception. In 1880 the doors were opened on the Grand Union Hotel in Trinidad and that same hotel stands largely unchanged except since the mid 1890's it has been called the Columbian Hotel. Its style is typical Western Victorian with many interesting details such as the decorative window lintels, cast iron trim and hammered-metal ceilings. John Conkie was the original owner as well as architect and builder of the hotel.
The hotel contained nearly 100 sleeping rooms, a large lobby, a lavish saloon, a formal dining room, ornate ballroom, a barber shop and gambling rooms in the basement. Much of the charm and flavor of this flamboyant hotel remains.
Many notable persons have spent time in this hotel. Doc Holliday supposedly spent many hours in the gambling hall, President Hoover and his wife spent several days here, Will Rogers and Wiley Post stopped here enroute to Alaska where they were killed a short time later, and several movie celebrities such as Douglas Fairbanks and his wife Mary Pickford have spent nights here. The hotel registers one other item to be added to the "George Washington slept here" tradition; while Tom Mix occupied room 214 his horse slept in room 212.
The first photograph was taken in the mid 1890's and the second was taken in July, 1970.
Legal Description: Lots 1 and 2, Block 114 OTS.
Figure 30 Grand Union Hotel Building
