Hotel Dempsey

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Hotel Dempsey
Alternative namesThe Dempsey
Dempsey Motor Hotel
General information
LocationMacon, Georgia, U.S.
OpenedMarch 12, 1913
OwnerHotel Dempsey Company
Design and construction
ArchitectWilliam Lee Stoddart
Main contractorGray-Wimmer Company[1]

Hotel Dempsey was a hotel in Macon, Georgia. Designed by renowned architect William Lee Stoddart in 1912, the 8-story building opened in 1913.

History

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The Hotel Dempsey Company was incorporated on April 23, 1912, for a twenty-year period.[2] The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and local press led a campaign that influenced hundreds of Macon citizens to subscribe to the hotel's stock.[3]

The construction of the Hotel Dempsey, a luxury hotel building, began in 1912.[4] It was originally an eight-story corner building with commercial space below and a rooftop sign bearing the name "Hotel Dempsey."[5] Located at 523 Cherry Street, the building occupied the corner with Third Street.[6]

The hotel was designed by New York architect William Lee Stoddart. It was modeled after Atlanta's Georgian Terrace Hotel, with some differences in its exterior. The contractor was Gray-Wimmer Construction Company.[7] R. S. Hubbell, the former assistant manager of the Waldorf-Astoria and the Dempsey's manager-in-chief, spent six months overseeing preparations. He guided the hotel's progress from framework to completion and personally directed and ordered the installation of its equipment.[3]

The hotel was the product of over a year's work, during which hundreds were employed and millions in Macon investment capital were used for labor. The building cost $200,000, while the leased ground was valued at the same amount, making it a half-million-dollar project.[3] The building was made with fireproof materials.[8] The only wood used was in the windows, doors, and trim, with concrete floors covered in Hartford sultana velvet.[3] It was designed to include all modern conveniences found in New York hotels. There were 225 rooms, each one with a bay window, and 125 of them with a bath.[8] The bathrooms had tiled flooring and walls.[3] Located on the ninth floor overlooking Third Street, the grand ballroom doubled as a roof garden in summer. It seated 500–600 with a stage, or 400 for banquets, and was used for conventions and dancing. Nearby were rest and lounging rooms for ladies.[3]

The Hotel Dempsey officially opened on March 12, 1913.[8] Among the notable guests at the grand opening were George C. Boldt, then proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria, and Oscar Tschirky, its general manager.[3]

All employees, from cooks to waiters and maids, were white, a practice regarded as innovative in the South then.[8] With 279 on its payroll, the Dempsey's staff included 25 maids, 18 bellboys, and 20 waiters.[3]

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce's first Board of Directors meeting was held at the Hotel Dempsey on September 16, 1913.[9]

Third Street intersection, showing Dempsey Hotel, Macon, Georgia

The first steps for a 125-room expansion of the Hotel Dempsey were taken in August 1930, with property deeds from Thomas C. Dempsey filed in Bibb Superior Court.[10]

Its charter was renewed for another twenty years on February 3, 1932.[2]

During World War II, the Dempsey accommodated military personnel and the Red Cross, later transforming into the Dempsey Motor Hotel in the 1950s.[4] An 11-story parking garage was added to the hotel in late 1950.[6]

It passed through eight owners during a six-year span in the 1970s.[6]

The Dempsey was bought in 1983 by Boston's Barkan Companies, aided by the Federal Department, Urban Development, and Bibb County.[4] The building became Dempsey Apartments, offering 194 low-income units for seniors, the disabled, and other residents with government assistance.[11] The property sold for $4.5 million in 2018.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Hotel Dempsey Is Almost Complete". The Macon News. May 10, 1913. p. 12. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Georgia Bibb County". The Macon News. December 13, 1941. p. 3. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Opening Of Hotel Dempsey Wednesday Night Will Be Brilliant Event In Macon History". The Macon News. March 8, 1913. p. 10. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Macon's historic Dempsey Hotel sold". 13wmaz.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  5. ^ "Hotel Dempsey - IBCC Digital Archive - University of Lincoln". ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  6. ^ a b c "The Dempsey getting new owner for first time in 36 years". macon.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  7. ^ "Dempsey Ready Jan. 1 Declares The Architect". The Macon Telegraph. September 26, 1912. p. 5. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d "Macon is Up-to-Date; Builds Hotel That Would Do Credit to New York". The Macon Telegraph. December 26, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  9. ^ "Greater Macon Chamber Joins Georgia Historical Society ..." maconchamber.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  10. ^ "125-Room Addition For Hotel Dempsey". The Atlanta Constitution. August 12, 1930. p. 6. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  11. ^ "Official: Dempsey Apartments' use unlikely to change". macon.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.