Wednesday, July 3 was the eve of the Fourth of July holiday, and the start of the weekend for many. But there was more than one reason to celebrate, as two years of work came to a head in the unveiling of the newly restored Rathbone Hotel.
Around 100 people lined the sidewalk and braved the heat on Wednesday to see the ceremonial ribbon cutting, but more than the ribbon cutting, they wanted to see the finished work.
“This building looked nothing like this when we took over,” owner Clay Bales told the crowd. “I remember the day we closed on it, we were standing on First Street, and a big piece of cement fell off and almost hit us in the head.”
The building was ready to fall in on itself after a 2012 fire severely damaged the Knights of Pythias building, as it’s called.
Constructed in 1909, it had long been neglected when the Bales bought it.
But that’s just where the story began. Several stepped in to see the project come to fruition. Among those, Bales, in his short speech, thanked Stryker Construction for doing the contract work, Citizens State Bank for providing the loan and the City of Montrose for assisting with the expensive project.
Mayor J. David Reed and the Anthony Russo, who works for the city on business development, lauded the project for its focus on both historic preservation and economic development.
Once the doors opened, people filed in, some sitting at the bar, which was mixing cocktails. Others opted for short tours of the loft hotel rooms upstairs, each unique in shape and style.
Showing the rooms for a tour, Jason Raibles, who helped lead the project with Bales, said the entire upper floor was open and in really bad shape. An architectural firm shaped the upper floor into rooms.
“We’ve got people staying here tonight, in this room,” Bales said.
Upstairs, there are 10 rooms, and 18 total in the building. The upstairs rooms boast high ceilings, and two rooms are loft style, with stairs leading up to a lofted bedroom.
The rooms have large windows, allowing for plenty of natural light.
Downtstairs, the parlor bar was serving up samples off the cocktail menu on Wednesday, and a local music artist was playing outside.
The Rathbone Hotel’s original building was constructed by the Knights of Pythias in 1909 as the KP Building. The building still adorns KP at the top of the facade facing Cascade Street.
The hotel gets its name from Justus Rathbone, the founder of the Knights of Pythias. The Rathbone Hotel had a painting of Justus Rathbone commissioned. It hangs on the first floor of the hotel.
The building has housed various businesses over the years, including mattress stores, grocery stores and more.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
