Russell Hotel

The Russell Hotel, now known as the Moose Lodge, was constructed in 1916. Dr. Charles H. Russell (born ca. 1863) decided to enlarge his medical office at this site to meet the needs of an expanding practice. The project grew to two stories by 1916 and was converted to a place of lodging in 1919. While not as grandiose as the nearby Hotel Pullman (built 1893, dismantled 1918); Artesian Hotel (built 1893, burned 1922) or the Washington Hotel (built 1927, demolished 1972), the Russell Hotel is nonetheless the oldest surviving reminder of Pullman's long-standing tradition in visitor accommodations. The building offered lodging until 1947, when it became the Moose Lodge.

Dr. Charles H. Russell was a medical doctor born in Wisconsin; he previously had his offices in the Flatiron building. By 1912, he had moved to 804 Alder Street (now known as Kamiaken Street). He decided to expand his office at a different location and work began on this new structure, intended to be a one-story building with four offices, in May 1915.1 By June 1915, Russell was thinking even bigger: As reported in the June 11, 1915, edition of The Pullman Herald, the doctor increased the size of the building to two stories, extending it over the top of his existing Alder Street office. The new structure was then planned to have three large rooms downstairs with seven rooms upstairs, plus an additional four rooms over the building already on site.

In 1919, he converted the building to use as a boarding house and hotel and advertised it as the Russell House; by 1930 it was known as the Russell Hotel.

In 1947, the Moose Lodge organization moved in, and the fraternal organization continues to be there to this day (as of at least February 2018).2 While the building is only open to Moose Lodge members and their invited guests, the organization is dedicated to serving its community and has sponsored fundraisers for local charities and sports groups.

1. The Pullman Herald, May 14, 1915: 6.
2. Rachel Dubrovin, “Demolishing Historical Building Catches City of Pullman’s Attention,” KlewTV.com, http://klewtv.com/news/local/demolishing-historical-building-catches-city-of-pullmans-attention (accessed February 15, 2018).