Save Hotel Earlington

The Earlington Hotel was originally constructed as a residence for Thomas McEuen in 1880 who was a stockholder of the St. Bernard Mining Company. As Earlington developed in the 1870s and early 1880s, McEuen had this two-story Italianate design residence built on Main Street. The building was completed around 1880 and it remained McEuen's residence until his death in 1885. By the early 1890s the building was used both as residence by McEuen's widow and as a hotel to serve visitors to the city including many famous people(presidents, movie stars, governors). Known as the Hotel Earlington, the building was mentioned in accounts of the period and is listed on the 1898 map of the city. The hotel was the largest in the community and it remained the most popular hotel during the early 20th century. In 1914 Mrs. McEuen died and hotel was purchased by the St. Bernard Mining Company who ran it until 1924. The Hotel Earlington continued to operate through the 1930s but by then the decline of the railroad traffic through the community resulted in fewer visitors and guests. In 1945, the hotel was renamed the Guest House and operated as a boarding house for several decades. The Hotel Earlington is one of the few remaining structures associated with the early commerce of the town and it is the only relatively unaltered 19th century hotel standing in the county. Today the hotel sits in ruins pending a demolition order. Luckly Blake & Britney Card seek to restore the hotel to its former glory and in doing so save a little piece of history. With all the renovations needed including roofing, masonry, and foundation work on top of the cosmetic every dollar will help bring the glory it once had back.