Savery Hotel
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Completed in 1919, the Savery Hotel was the tallest of Des Moines' downtown hotels for a time and characterized the growth of the city in the early 1900s. The Army used the building as an induction center, classrooms, and barracks for over seventy thousand members of the Women's Army Corps who trained here during World War II.The hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and thoroughly renovated in the following two years. It is now part of the Mariott chain.
Images
The Savery Hotel opened in 1919 and is now part of the Marriott chain.
The previous Savery Hotel was also located here. It opened in 1888 and operated until it was torn down to allow the construction of the current building.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
This hotel is the third hotel to bear the Savery name in Des Moines. The original Savery Hotel opened in 1878. It was replaced by an ornate six-story building in 1888 that featured electirc lighting. In addition to the hotel, the building was also the home of the city's chamber of commerce.
Sources
"Locust Street, Savery Hotel," Historic Des Moines. Drake Library website, accessed 10/26/16 http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/cdm/ref/collection/du-hdm/id/197