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The American Hotel
by Stan Poe Summer 2006
The American Hotel is a large and impressive masonry
building at 224 Broadway just west of Long Beach Blvd. It
stands as a sentinel on an otherwise empty block. The
cornerstone was laid on Oct. 1, 1905. It was to be the
"Psychic Temple" for the Society of New or Practical
Psychology, "the first building in the world dedicated to
psychological work." It was built by William C. Price who
ran the Holy Kiss Society. Apparently fortunes changed and
in 1911 it was sold to Anna Sewell for $2,910. 09. From that
point on it was known as The American House and became a
prosaic single room occupancy hotel.
The exterior of the building is a beautiful execution of the
Panel Brick style and has Romanesque details. Even with the
black glass alterations on the storefronts and the removal
of the original cornice, it still has an impressive and
dignified presence.
The building went through several commercial uses during the
last century. In 1930 the first floor housed a small
stationery and notions shop on the east end, while the rest
of the first floor housed a cigar factory. The hostelry at
that time was called The American House. Reached by a narrow
stairway on the west side of the building, the second floor
of the hotel contains a very large lobby with soaring
ceiling that is open through the third floor balcony to a
large skylight which originally would have flooded the space
with light as a true glassed atrium. There is a rather
striking staircase with Arts and Crafts detailing which
rises from the center of the lobby. The stairs are two
flight courses with a landing midway creating a stately
illusion. The third floor railing was probably wood to match
the stairs, but has been replaced with inexpensive wrought
iron.
All of the rooms which surround the lobby on the second
floor and the continuous balcony on the third floor are
surprisingly small and simple with a corner sink in each
room and a rudimentary wooden closet. Each floor held but
one "tub room" and water closet. The Spartan accommodations
hardly match the rather grand and imposing Romanesque
facade. Given the original use of the building, a
theosophical institute, these rooms may well have been
appropriate for meditation. With three steps up, each floor
has one raised room at the west end which may have been used
for group sessions. The thought of people living out their
lives in these Spartan, little rooms paints a grim picture
of gritty reality. Although the interiors have been stripped
of most of the millwork, there may still be a possibility of
rehabilitation.
The Advocacy Committee of Long Beach Heritage has been
closely monitoring the status of the American Hotel. Our
official stance is to save the façade at the very least and
if feasible to incorporate the interior in some fashion in
whatever development occurs at the site. The handsome
building is a designated Long Beach landmark.
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