Historic Lowe Hotel

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Historic Lowe Hotel was built in 1901in Point Pleasant, WV, and opened as the Spencer Hotel. The original name was in honor of the hotel’s financial founder J.S. Spencer. The property eventually passed to two brothers, Homer and Griff Smith. In 1929, the Lowe family bought the hotel after the stock market crashed and changed its name to the current Lowe Hotel. The hotel is still operating by owners Ruth and Rush Finley, who purchased the hotel in 1990. This historical hotel is located near a number of historic sites and places of interest, such as Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, the Mothman Museum, and sites associated with Point Pleasant's early history as a river town.

Images

The Lowe Hotel dates back to 1901 and continues to offer meeting spaces and overnight accommodations.

The second floor Banquet Room

Fourth floor Grand Ballroom

Room, Service, Employment, Vintage clothing

Spencer Hotel Dining Room

Monochrome, Black-and-white, Monochrome photography, Illustration

Spencer Hotel Bar

Monochrome, Vintage clothing, Employment, History

Lobby fire place

Street light, Light fixture, Interior design, Christmas decoration

Spencer Hotel lobby

Spencer Hotel switchboard, which still works though it is not in use

Musical instrument accessory, Machine, Still life photography

Sitting in front of the Spencer Hotel

Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Vintage clothing

Spencer Hotel transportation from the Kanawha River landing

Mode of transport, Transport, Carriage, Working animal

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The hotel was built on land previously owned by Col. Andrew Lewis for a cost of $65,000 with an extra $10,000 used to furnish the hotel. The hotel contains much of the original furniture, in addition to some modern day furniture, and each room is decorated differently. The Lowe Hotel has 54 guest rooms in all, currently 35 are available to rent, the rest are still waiting to be refurbished. The second floor is the dining room featuring the original building’s hand-laid tile. The hotel also contains the original Tiffany stained glass windows.

After being built the hotel was named after a local lawyer who was the main financial supporter of the build. The hotel was built to accommodate the heavy river traffic that passed through Point Pleasant, WV. The smiths owned the hotel until 1929 when it was sold Homer D. Lowe. Not only did he change the name, but he traded out the prostitution and gambling and put in room for civic and church groups. Later he would pass the hotel to his son Homer Lowe Jr. who sold his hotel in 1990.

Over the years the hotel has been a place of rest not just to guest but to the paranormal life. The hotel is believed to be haunted. This hotel has been placed in a town full of paranormal activity from the Mothman to the ghosts that roam the hotel. There is rumored to be a young ghost woman seen dancing between the first and second floors. Also, a ghost of a toddler riding a tricycle on the second floor, ghost of a maid and a sea captain on the third floor, and the fourth floor ballroom has rumors of a ghost string quartet.

Many of the hanging art in the rooms are on loan from local artist. The hotel also displays local art in its gallery. The current owners renovated this first-floor space, once a department store, into an art gallery for local West Virginia and Ohio artist.

Sources

Historic Lowe Hotel, Accessed 7/9/2015 http://www.thelowehotel.com/ theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2011/03/lowe-hotel-pt-pleasant.html Added Photos in possession of www.thelowehotel.com

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Friend who currently owns the hotel