Abandoned hotel in Ohio
Antlers Hotel, Lorain Ohio
The Antlers Hotel is the largest and finest hotel ever built in Lorain. Since its construction in 1922, it has dominated the core area of the downtown, overlooking the one-block Memorial Park (the original Public Square of the former Village of Charleston which later became Lorain). Its site is particularly prominent in that it is located less than one block from Broadway and City Hall in the heart of downtown Lorain on U.S. Route 6 (West Erie Avenue), the major east-west thoroughfare through the City following the shoreline of Lake Erie. Until its decline in the 1950's and 1960's, the Antlers also dominated the downtown commercial and social scene with its stylish rooms for transient accommodation and a full schedule of dances, parties, club meetings and political rallies in its ballroom and meeting rooms.
The hotel was originally built by the local Elks Lodge Number 1301, as a profit-making venture and to house the Elks club comfortably for their regular meeting and social activities. With the advent of the Ohio Turnpike and later I-90 as the major east-west highways through the area, and with the construction of new motels and shopping facilities outside the declining downtown, the market for the Antlers Hotel withered. Loss of income led to deferred maintenance and eventual building deterioration, which ultimately forced the closing of the hotel in the mid-1960's. However, no other building in Lorain matches the architectural splendor of the Antlers Hotel's facades which are intact, even though the interiors have been abandonned and allowed to deteriorate.
Building Description
The Antlers Hotel is a fairly large, rectangular, imposing structure set prominently alone overlooking a small city park at the southwest corner of Washington Avenue and West Erie Avenue in downtown Lorain, Ohio. The building measures approximately 128 feet by 100 feet, and its four stories and basement were constructed in 1922 of tan-colored brick with ornamental stone and terra cotta exterior features. The style of architecture is Renaissance Revival, including attractive classical detailing around the window openings and the balustered porch of the main entrance. This front porch area is defined and partially enclosed by projecting bays on each end of the front facade.
The hotel contains approximately 80 rooms, most with private bathrooms, as well as the lobby, a former restaurant area, a bar, kitchen, and hotel laundry. The building also incorporates an imposing two-story auditorium/ballroom with stage and balcony measuring approximately 90 feet by 60 feet. On the floor above the ballroom is an additional one-story meeting room measuring approximately 65 feet by 55 feet.
This structures interior has been heavily damaged by vandals and exposure to the elements over the years. However, the massive exterior remains intact, needing only cleaning to restore its architectural attractiveness. Also on the site is a small asphalt parking lot to the south of the building, accommodating approximately 45 automobiles.
Front Facade facing East (1982)
