Charleston seeks to find new life for historic hotel

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Positioned in downtown, The Russell Hotel -- where famous jazz musicians stayed and played as they traveled -- easily could find a new purpose in the town it's called home for nearly 100 years.

Just ask Karen Teeters, executive director of Charleston Chamber of Commerce, and lifetime Charleston resident Betty Hearnes.

"When it was built, it was one of the finest hotels between St. Louis and Memphis," Teeters said, citing its "gorgeous architecture" and wood and iron work as reasons for its quality.

The lobby features cultured marble and black-and-white floor tiles.

"It was also known as one of the finest dance halls in Southeast Missouri," Teeters said.

The dances often featured big orchestras in the basement, Hearnes noted.

"I was a kid then, but everybody knew when they were having a dance because the lights were all on and a lot of people would come into town and stay," Hearnes recalled.

Big-band era musicians such as Jack Teagarden, Stan Kenton, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman are rumored to have played at the Charleston hotel.

Hearnes said because she was a child at the time, she can't confirm any names. But she knows there were some famous musicians from the swing era who played at the hotel.

"It was a very popular place. There was a dining room with the tile floors," Hearnes recalled.

The three-story structure's unique history and quality structure are just a couple of reasons it's been designated as a "watched property" on Missouri's Places in Peril for 2015 by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation.

"It's an annual list," Teeters said. "We were contacted and asked if we wished for the property to remain on the list, and doing so just calls a little extra attention to the building."

The list is a core advocacy program of the Missouri Preservation group. The Russell Hotel first was placed on the list in 2014 in hopes of attracting interest in the property from outside of the area.

U.S. Rep. Joseph J. Russell, a Charleston native, owned the land and built the hotel in 1916, according to Hearnes.

"I think it cost $125,000, which was a lot of money then," Hearnes said.

Of course, the building has weathered through the years, Hearnes said.

"We've had a hard time finding something to put in it," Hearnes said. "There's been a restaurant and living quarters there, but it used to be that salesmen all came through Charleston, and they'd stay at the hotel because the rooms had a writing desk."

Hearnes said she realizes in these times, it's hard to get the money to buy and repurpose the building.

Teeters agreed.

"Charleston does have a TIF (tax increment financing) incentive where if someone wanted to come in and put in a business, that would be possible," Teeters said, adding the building also would make a great office space.

Teeters said the property is not repossessed. The primary note holder is Mississippi County Savings and Loan in Charleston.

"They have had an offer to purchase the building, but it was for salvage," Teeters said. "They don't want to see that done, but when paying property taxes and insurance on a building that's sitting there vacant and that long, it's hard to continue to do. Nobody knows what to do with it."

Teeters, Hearnes and others in the city hope someone becomes interested in purchasing and repurposing the building soon. A prospective buyer should understand, however, there is work to be done, they said.

"If we don't preserve our landmark buildings, they will continue to disappear," Teeters said.

Through the years, the hotel served as a nursing home in the early 1980s, and a cafe was the last occupant a few years ago.

Teeters and Hearnes said the possibilities for the structure are limitless.

"I was hoping we could get the dining room opened again because it is pretty, and we'd have a place people could go and eat lunch," Hearnes said. "You've got have someone who really knows how to run a restaurant. A lot have been interested in having antiques."

There also has been some discussion about making apartments out of the building by putting two or three rooms together, she said.

"I would love to see it turned into a moderate assisted-living facility," Teeters said. "There's a need for that -- and a growing need for that -- and I certainly think we could have one of those in Charleston."

Hearnes said she's seen many historical buildings repurposed in other towns, which is why she knows it can be done in Charleston.

"It had good times -- and down times," Hearnes said of the structure.

And there's no reason it can't have even more good times in the future, she said.

"I'm a dreamer," Hearnes said. "That's the way it is."

Those interested in buying the building should contact Hearnes or Charleston City Hall at (573) 683-3325.