WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2001 - National Trust Historic Hotels of America announces the addition of 21 members. This selection brings the total members in the program to 174 hotels, representing 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada.

"We believe this collection not only reflects the architectural history of America, it represents a cultural legacy as well," said Thierry Roch, executive director of National Trust Historic Hotels of America. "Historic Hotels of America provides travelers with a true cross-section of Americana, from stately downtown landmarks, to rustic mountain retreats and small town inns. Our new members reinforce that range, and evoke a variety of eras in our history, including rugged outposts in the Wild West and projects from Roosevelt's New Deal."

For the first time, Historic Hotels of America has member properties in the states of Nevada and Wyoming, as well as the city of Pittsburgh. The group is also adding members in Baltimore, Birmingham, Ala., in a New York state park and in Canada. 

The Tutwiler, A Wyndham Historic Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. - In a case of reincarnation, the Tutwiler Hotel, a grand dame of Birmingham for more than 60 years, found new life in a nearby apartment building. The original Tutwiler's structure was demolished in 1974, but thanks to the efforts of Tutwiler's great-grandson, the hotel's tradition of hospitality was given new life. After a $15 million restoration, the Ridgeley Apartments were refurbished with coffered ceilings, antique furnishings and Italian marble an reborn as the
Tutwiler Hotel in 1986. (147 guest rooms and 52 suites)

The Historic Hassayampa Inn, Prescott, Ariz. - In 1927, local citizens challenged El Paso architect Henry Trost to design a grand hotel that would become the cornerstone of downtown Prescott. Once the foundation was laid, Trost was further challenged to modify the Pueblo Art Deco façade to a simpler brick design. The interior's hand-painted ceiling beams, wall murals, glazed tiling and etched and stained glass windows and doors, all combine to create an atmosphere that is hospitable and inviting while exuding the warmth of the romantic southwest. (68 guest rooms and suites.)
 

Argyle Hotel,  Los Angeles, Calif

Argyle Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif. - The Sunset Tower apartment building was a well-known landmark during the golden era of Hollywood. Among the stars who called it home in the 1930s were John Wayne, Jean Harlow, Errol Flynn and Clark Gable. The Art Deco structure was designed by architect Leland A. Bryant in 1929, and was the city's first earthquake-resistant apartment building. After falling into

U.S. Grant, A Wyndham Historic Hotel, San Diego, Calif. - U.S. Grant, Jr. built the monumental U.S. Grant Hotel as a tribute to his father, the famous Civil War general and 18th president of the United States. Occupying an entire city block, the hotel officially opened to great fanfare in 1910. The neo-Classical hotel's interior is filled with Queen Anne furnishings, marble colonnades, crystal chandeliers and views of the downtown skyline and the San Diego Bay. The hotel features The Grant Grill, a 52-year old dining landmark. (284 guest rooms and suites.)

Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. - Located amid the bustle of Capitol Hill, this Georgian Revival-style hotel was built in 1922 and originally named the Commodore. Sixty years later, the hotel was renamed in honor of Dublin's Phoenix Park, the largest urban park in Europe. The hotel maintains an old world ambiance with rich woodwork, Celtic rugs, European antiques and Waterford crystal chandeliers. Guest rooms are furnished with period décor and Irish linens, as well as contemporary amenities such as mini bars and voice mail. Located four blocks from the U.S. Capitol and within walking distance of many Washington attractions such as the Library of Congress, Supreme Court and Smithsonian museums. (85 guest rooms in the original building, 65 rooms in the new wing.)

Radisson Plaza Hotel Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Md. - Named for George Calvert (Lord Baltimore and founder of the Maryland Colony), the 23-story Lord Baltimore Hotel was the largest hotel in Maryland at the time of its construction in 1928. The hotel combines a Renaissance Revival style with classical accents in the Art Deco tradition and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Its downtown location is convenient to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Ravens PSINet Stadium. (424 guest rooms.)

Antrim 1844 Country Inn, Taneytown, Md. - In 1844, Colonel Andrew Ege named his 2,500-acre plantation after Country Antrim, his birthplace in Ireland, and gave the property to his daughter as a wedding gift. Once a 2,500-acre plantation, Antrim now occupies 23 acres of scenic countryside in central Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. The Greek Revival-style mansion houses nine guest rooms, with additional accommodations housed in other historic outbuildings, including the ice house, cottage, barn, carriage house, farmhouse and smokehouse. Guest rooms are outfitted with antique furnishings, canopy feather beds, marble baths and splendid views. (22 guest rooms.)

The Regent Wall Street, New York, N.Y. - The regal Regent Wall Street has undergone many transformations in its 160-year history. Constructed as the Merchants Exchange building in 1842, it served as the New York Customs House and was later transformed into the National City Bank by the renowned firm of McKim, Mead and White in 1907. Its most dramatic conversion took place in 1999 when the bank was converted into a luxurious boutique hotel. The Greek Revival structure has been praised as one of the city's monumental classical buildings and its interior boasts a spectacular ballroom featuring Botticini marble floors and walls and a 70-foot high coffered ceiling in the former banking hall. (144 guest rooms, including 47 suites.)

Gideon Putnam Hotel and Conference Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - Gideon Putnam settled in an area near Albany that would later become known as Saratoga Springs in 1795. Ten years later he established the village, complete with tavern and guesthouse to accommodate the many visitors to the area's renowned mineral springs. Good fortunes later dried up and the Gideon Putnam Hotel was built in 1935 as part of Roosevelt's "New Deal." The project included recreation and theater facilities and is set on
2,000 acres in Saratoga Spa State Park, a National Historic Landmark District. (120 guest rooms, 18 suites.)
 

Boulder Dam Hotel, Boulder City, Nev. - The federal government established Boulder City in 1931 to house thousands of workers constructing the monumental Boulder Dam (renamed Hoover Dam in 1947). In 1933, the Boulder Dam Hotel opened to accommodate the growing number of tourists that were flocking

Boulder Dam Hotel,  Boulder City, Nev.

Hotel Utica, Utica, N.Y. - Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks, Utica is a former mill town that is the perfect base for exploring the Leatherstocking region's rich history. The Hotel Utica, originally built in 1912, is at the heart of the city's revitalized downtown historic area. Closed in 1972 and threatened with demolition, the property reopened in 2001 after a three-year, multi-million dollar restoration. The Renaissance Revival-style hotel features rich mahogany interiors, ornate public spaces and striking views of the Mohawk Valley. (112 guestrooms, including 14 suites.)
 

Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, Southern Pines, N.C. - The Mid Pines Inn opened in 1921, along with its famed golf course, designed by the legendary Donald Ross. During World War II, the Inn housed military police for the Army Air Force and its lush golf course was overcome with wild grapes. After the war, the course was restored and consistently ranks

Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club  Southern Pines, NC

Radisson Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem, Pa. - Although famous as the home of Bethlehem Steel, the town was originally founded in 1740 by the Morvian Brethren, a group of German settlers seeking freedom. One year later, the settlement's first structure was visited by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf of Saxony, who named the community "Bethlehem." In 1922, the Hotel Bethlehem was erected on the site of that first structure. A series of seven murals by George Gray, chronicling the town's history from religious
haven to industrial icon, hang throughout the hotel. Traditionally furnished guest rooms overlook the historic downtown and the famous hillside Bethlehem star. (127 guest rooms.)

Mountain View Inn, Greensburg, Pa. - Family owned for more than 60 years, the Mountain View Inn has been welcoming guests to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania since 1924. Guest rooms are individually decorated, each in their own period antiques and reproductions. The Mountain View Inn is convenient to a variety of area diversions, including skiing, fishing and hunting to seasonal ethnic and craft festivals. (82 guest rooms, 7 suites.)

Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa. - The unique U-shaped design of the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel offers dramatic downtown or river views from nearly every room. Built in 1906 and originally known as the Fulton Building, the structure housed office and medical space. It later became a Veterans Administration office and served as mixed-use space for the private sector. In 1998, the building was converted into a stylish hotel. The three-year process uncovered marble, mosaic tiles and a 20-ton glass and a cast iron rotunda dome that had been blacked out since World War II. (300 guest rooms and 14 suites)

The Westin Poinsett, Greenville, S.C. - In 1925, the city of Greenville rallied to raise funds for a downtown hotel and commissioned New York architect W.L. Stoddard to design the structure. The hotel was named for famed South Carolinian Joel R. Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador who introduced the traditional Mexican Christmas flower to the United States. In 1976 the hotel was converted to a retirement home but reopened as the Westin Poinsett in 2000, after a $25 million restoration. (200 guest rooms, 10 suites.)

General Morgan Inn and Conference Center, Greeneville, Tenn. - The General Morgan Inn stands on the site where Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, who terrorized the upper Midwest region during the Civil War, was shot and killed. The hotel that bears his name was originally built in 1889 as The Grand Central Hotel, and was later one of four "railroad" hotels that were connected via second-story walkways. The inter-connected hotels, renamed The Brumley in 1920, operated until 1981 when they were left vacant. In 1996, the four-story building was refurbished with mahogany furnishings, marble baths and restored moldings and woodwork and reopened as the General Morgan Inn. (52 guest rooms.)
 

Cibolo Creek Ranch,  Shafter, Texas

Cibolo Creek Ranch, Shafter, Texas - The frontier is alive and well in Shafter, Texas, much as it was a century-and-a-half ago when Milton Faver built three forts to protect his trade with nearby Fort Davis. Guests enjoy luxury accommodations surrounded by the rugged beauty of

Occidental Hotel, Buffalo, Wyo. - The Occidental Hotel began life in 1878 as a tent on the banks of Clear Creek at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains and soon became a favorite stopping point for travelers on the Bozeman Trail. In 1880, the tent was replaced with a log structure that hosted some of the most notable figures in the Old West: Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, General Phil Sheridan and Tom Horn. Owen

Occidental Hotel,  Buffalo, Wyo (Discover Historic Buffalo photo)

The Wort Hotel, Jackson Hole, Wyo. - Homesteader Charles J. Wort arrived in Jackson Hole in 1893 to earn his keep on the land. In 1941, his sons John and Jess braved local ridicule and erected a luxury hotel on four lots their father had purchased in 1915. The Wort Hotel was an immediate success. The Tudor Revival hotel was damaged by fire in 1980 but was soon restored with warm New West décor complemented by authentic Western and Native American motifs. The famous Silver Dollar Bar features 2,032 uncirculated 1921 silver dollars. (60 guest rooms.)

The Fairmont Algonquin, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada - Nineteenth-century tourists were drawn to St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, Canada's first seaside resort town, for its famed springs, saltwater baths and coastal setting. The Algonquin, built in 1889, offered guests therapeutic baths of saltwater pumped in from the Passamaquoddy Bay. The original hotel burned in 1914 but was rebuilt a year later and continues to provide fine Victorian-era hospitality, classically furnished guest rooms and a "green action plan" that reflects the hotel's long-time concern for the environment and health issues. (237 guest rooms.)

Representing more than 32,000 rooms, Historic Hotels of America ranks as one of the 15 largest consortia in the world, according to Hotels magazine (July 2001).

A directory of member hotels can be purchased by sending a $3.50 check or money order to National Trust Historic Hotels of America, P.O. Box 320, Washington, D.C. 20055-0320. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, non-profit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. With more than a quarter million members nationwide, it provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities. It has six regional offices and 20 historic sites and works with thousands of local community groups in all 50 states.