The story below is a preview from our March/April 2018 issue. For the full story Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Photo By Julianne Rainone/The Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this beautiful building has transformed from hotel into an elegant living, business and event space.
There are not many places in Roanoke that evoke such feelings of nostalgia as the Patrick Henry Hotel.
Since its beginning in 1925, when the Colonial-Revival style hotel was built to accommodate the city’s growing number of traveling salesmen, it has been a symbol of elegance and history for locals and visitors to downtown Roanoke for decades.
The 10-floor Patrick Henry, named for the U.S. founding father in a naming contest, and its swanky ballroom hosted wedding receptions, parties, community meetings and many other special events. Rosie O’Donnell and Martin Lawrence are among some of the celebrities who performed for comedy shows at Down the Hatch, a bar formerly located on the hotel’s first floor.
The hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has had its up and downs, including ownership changes, bankruptcy, a 2007 closure and a transformation and 2011 reopening, led by Roanoke developer, Ed Walker.
Though the Patrick Henry no longer is a hotel, it still exudes the elegance of its historic glory.
Now, it features 132 luxury apartments, businesses and event space, including a refurbished ballroom.
Today’s lobby, compared with the 1935 scene pictured here, sports a modern look, with taupe colored chairs and sofas, white columns and a game room area with a pool table. There is one restaurant in the lobby area–FPS Cafe & Spirits, featuring a bar and dueling piano performances. Another, Fresh Baked Bakery, faces Jefferson Street.
Remnants of the hotel’s past linger. Just look up. Several antique chandeliers, restored during the hotel’s revival, dangle from the lobby’s ceiling, shining light on a new era for this beloved downtown landmark.
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