Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, presented a Virginia General Assembly proclamation marking the 140th anniversary of Hotel Roanoke to General Manager Brian Wells during a ceremony held Monday inside the downtown landmark.
Opened on Christmas Day 1882 by the Norfolk and Western Railway, the Tudor Revival hotel has been rebuild twice while hosting six U.S. presidents and two vice presidents, among other luminaries. The modern Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center was deeded to Virginia Tech by the railroad in 1989, then remodeled after a successful fundraising campaign called Renew Roanoke. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Photos: Hotel Roanoke through the years
The first iteration of Hotel Roanoke before it burned, for the first time, in 1898.
Entrance to the Hotel Roanoke circa 1895.
Hotel Roanoke burned on July 1, 1898.
A gaslit bedroom at Hotel Roanoke circa 1905.
Cars line the street in front of Hotel Roanoke in the early 1930s.
The Palm Court at Hotel Roanoke in 1938.
Guest room at Hotel Roanoke in 1938.
Lounge at Hotel Roanoke in 1938.
The lobby of the Hotel Roanoke in 1938.
The Virginia Dining Room in 1938.
A visiting room at Hotel Roanoke after it was rebuilt after a 1937 fire.
The Hotel Roanoke and grounds prior to 1957.
Hotel Roanoke. Can you guess the decade by the cars out front?
This Norfolk and Western J Class 611 steam engine was built in the Roanoke Shops in May of 1950.
Exterior of the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in April 2, 1995.
Iron Worker Jose Rolon of Roanoke uses a torch to cut a support beam in half at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in 2001.
Beers Construction Company workers pour a concrete floor slab inside the Roanoke Hotel and Conference Center in 2001.
Ike Williams with M&W Construction paints Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center in 2004.
Workers with M&W Construction paint Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center in 2004.
The private patio of the Govenor’s Suite at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.
Plummers working for S.J. Conner & Sons, Justin Bocock (left to right), Rodney Nunley and Jimie Davis get bathroom sinks ready for installation in the guest rooms at Hotel Roanoke in 2007. The sinks were being mounted to granite countertops.
Hotel Roanoke bed headboards sit at a warehouse located at 3348 Salem Turnpike in Roanoke. The Hotel Roanoke is selling its the furniture because it is doing a complete renovation.
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center’s outdoor swimming pool and hot tub are on the Williamson Road & Wells Avenue side of the hotel near the parking areas.
Bob Smith with Lucas Construction cuts door trim in The Regency Room of the renovated Regency Room at the Hotel Roanoke, slated to open February 9, 2013.
Charlton Heston, president of the National Rifle Association shakes hands during a rally at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, in Roanoke on Thursday October 19, 2000. Heston gave a speech to the NRA supporters encouraging the crowd to vote for candidates who will protect second amendment rights.
Beatrice Crowder, 82, made this dress from old Hotel Roanoke tablecloths she bought at the auction when the hotel closed for renovations. The ballroom dance enthusiast decorated it with some antique lace from her grandmother.
Photographers Cindy and John Bourgois use a reflector on Saturday to add light to Mary Kathryn Lee during her wedding portrait session at Hotel Roanoke.
Larry Monahan (left) of Roanoke practices a foxtrot dance routine with instructor Larissa Trebunskaya Of New York city during the International Ballroom Dance Camp being held at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in 2002.
The Little Dinner Theater Players performed “A Night At The Hotel Roanoke” in 2005. Pictured from Left to Right are: Ron Hebert, Jeremy Hudson, Lynn Suwala, Cheryl Carter, Tony Quaranta, Deneen Safritt, and Leroy Helferstay.
Abigail Williams (Roanoke), Dylan Summes (Roanoke) and Rachel Gresham (Salem) dance after dinner at The Nutcracker ball that took place in The Hotel Roanoke’s Crystal Ballroom on Saturday, November 17th, 2007.
Ron Loving executive chef at The Hotel Roanoke checks the demi glaze while it is cooking. The restaurant at the hotel was at full staff for the Christmas customers.
Burlesque performer “Izzy Pistolwhip” outside the Hotel Roanoke. Her troop “Cookies and Anarchy” performed at the Roanoke Tattoo Festival.
Bethany Hall graduate Terry Smith walks the runway with her daughter, Kierra Tiller (age 7), at the Bethany Hall Fashion Show held at the Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke. Bethany Hall, a Roanoke long-term substance abuse treatment program for women, will sponsor a fashion show for as a fundraiser for its center, which has felt the brunt of state budget cuts in the past several years.
Russell Steer, from Christiansburg, a member of the Garrison Tyranus (Virginia) chapter of the 501st Legion and dressed as a Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Stormtrooper, patrols the hallways of the Hotel Roanoke during the SheVaCon Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Convention held in Roanoke.
Omnia Basha high-fives Hotel Roanoke server Elvis Depriest during a luncheon with Preston Park Elementary students Destiny Broughman (center) and Angie Guardado (right). The luncheon was held to help the 5th grade girls practice etiquette skills learned throughout the year through their school with the Girls Rock club.
The Westside Steppers, including Keona Easley, Shamarion Smith and Miyakah Banks, perform at the Hotel Roanoke.
The front entrance to the lobby of the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center has welcomed thousands of guests over the years.
