LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 2-3-18

Hotels

Over the years there have been many places to offer a night’s stay for the weary traveler. I started out trying to list all the hotels and motels, but the list of just the hotels was overwhelming.

         

Two of the longest standing hotels until the huge Wicomico Hotel was built in 1925 are the Peninsula Hotel on Main St. and the Salisbury Hotel on Railroad Avenue. The Peninsula Hotel was started and operated for many years by John Tracy. It was subsequently owned and operated by O. J. Schneck and Harry Phillips. The end of this hotel came in devastating fire in 1929. A bank was built on the site at Main and St. Peter Streets and remains to this day. The Salisbury Hotel was operated by George L. Bradley and operated at least until 1921. Both were in business in 1878.

         

The next two old hotels are the Central Hotel on E. Church St. and the Merchants Hotel. While many people remember the Central because it remained open until the 1960’s, only the building where the Merchants Hotel was in business remains on the corner of Main and Church Streets near Mill Street. The land where the Central Hotel was is now under the Government Office Building on the corner of Church and Division Streets.

         

Other lesser known hotels operated from 1907 until 1925, when the huge Wicomico

Hotel opened, driving the smaller hotels out of business. After their life as a hotel, many of them became rooming houses, renting accommodations for longer stays than the overnight traveler needed. Some of them are the Davis House on Division St., the Maryland House on E. Church St., Parker House on High St, Salisbury House on Main St., the Hotel Claiborne on Main St. and the Ross Hotel on Main St. Many of these were probably eating or drinking establishments on the first floor and rooms on the upper floors. Businesses such as the Arcade Hotel on W. Main St., the Chantry House on Water St., the Majestic Hotel on E. Main St., the Mayflower Grill on W. Main St., The William Penn on N. Division St. and the Travelers Inn on Main St. also provided accommodations for the weary traveler.

         

When the Wicomico Hotel was opened in 1925, the accommodations were such that their business practically put every other establishment that served overnight guests out of business. They were “the place to stay” until after World War II, when the motel emerged. Motels served an ever-growing clientele of travelers that had automobiles. The alternate to the Wicomico Hotel was a proliferation of tourist homes. These were large homes that had the space to rent out on a nightly basis and were mainly located along N. Division St., which was Route 13 until they built the “by-pass” in 1939.

         

Nowadays, hotels are only found in the larger cities. The modern motels are very similar to the grand hotels of yesterday, having many accommodations attached to them. You can eat shop or be entertained at most of them.

         

Salisbury has had its share of different kinds of hotels, but the purpose was always the same – providing a night’s rest for the weary traveler.