Hotel Ottumwa

Built in 1917, the Hotel Ottumwa was the center of much of the city's social, civic, and business activities for several decades. As such, it played a significant role in Ottumwa's development in the 20th century. It is also a fine, albeit conservative, example of Classical Revival architecture. The most notable feature is the terra cotta main entrance, which includes pilasters with decorative foliated patterns, a cornice topped with urns, and an ornate marquee above the doors. Other highlights include the second floor windows with semi-circular panels and the iron cornice at the top of the building. The hotel, which operates today, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

The hotel was the idea of a group of leading local businessmen who wanted to build a first-class luxury hotel. The city's only luxury hotel at the time, the Ballingall Hotel, had become old and inadequate. The group formed a corporation to sell shares to local residents, who raised $300,000 for the project. It opened to great fanfare on September 6, 1917. A banquet was held in the hotel's ballroom attended by prominent local and state businessmen. In the coming years, businessmen met at the hotel to discuss and make deals.

Although the group of businessmen who decided to build the hotel considered it as an investment, the rest of the community saw it as a place for social and civic gatherings. The ballroom was used by civic groups including the Kiwanis Club and Rotary International as well as the Ottumwa Women's Club. Residents often went to the hotel for Sunday brunch and took visitors there too. It was (and still is) a popular wedding venue. In addition to these activities, the hotel was the location of a radio station and the first floor was occupied by various businesses.

The popularity of the hotel began to decline in the 1950s with the emergence of cars as a main mode of transportation. Downtown hotels didn't have sufficient parking space so hotels sprung up outside of the city, drawing people away. As a result, occupancy declined and the hotel had difficulty supporting itself financially. Eventually the owner sold it in 1975. The current owners, the Schwartz family, bought the hotel in 1982 and restored it. It is once again a popular hub of civic and social activity in downtown Ottumwa.

Naumann, Molly Myers. "Hotel Ottumwa." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. September 25, 2012. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/12000815_text.

"Our Story." Hotel Ottumwa. Accessed March 8, 2022. https://www.hotelottumwa.com/our-story.