• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Homestead on the Range

Abundant Living in Flyover Country

  • The Lifestyle
  • The Farm
  • The Garden
  • The Skills
  • The Business
  • The Sunflower State

Greenwood Hotel: Part 3—Restoration

June 9, 2014 by hsotr

Greenwood Hotel: Part 3—Restoration
Main Street, Eureka

The 1926 remodel was the high point of the Greenwood Hotel’s history. Although it continued to thrive as a gathering place for the town of Eureka, life at the hotel took on a more leisurely pace.

This was noted by Roy Wall, writer for the Wichita Beacon, in 1952:

In the half-lighted lobby, the buzzing conversation runs to range grass and cattle, fishing, and quail hunting, while the evening breeze drifts in from the hills to push around the smell of tobacco smoke, sizzling meat from the coffee shop just beyond the swinging doors, and the musty [odors] from the long, dark hallway. When the summer sun hammers hard and the heat waves dance over the bluestem pastures, the Greenwood lobby empties onto the shady veranda, where the Whittle and Argue convenes until snow flies again. The sun never finds the long bench where every issue, from politics to bird-dogs, from huge cattle deals to the best bass lures, run the gauntlet of opinion.

Several times the hotel changed hands. But the sale that concerns us most here is the auction that was held on August 11, 1979.

Three women happened to be at that auction: Mrs. Ralph Marlin, Mrs. T.W. McCarthy, and Mrs. George Jackson. While watching the hotel furniture being sold, they overheard a remark made by one of the bidders. He intended to buy the Greenwood Hotel and raze it.

Suddenly, the three women realized that the historic structure was in danger. They consulted hastily and decided to come to the rescue. Pooling their resources, they entered the bidding and won the Greenwood Hotel for $31,500.

The women fully intended to restore the grand old building, but were never able. Storms came and blew off part of the the roof. Further damage occurred in the forms of rain, pigeons, and flooding from a hand-dug well later discovered in the basement.

Greenwood Hotel

But the citizens of Eureka were not yet ready to part with their historic hotel. In 2002, the Greenwood Preservation Society was formed. Members rushed to work to fix the roof and begin the long cleanup process. In 2006, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, earning more attention and several grants.

Work is still ongoing, but the Greenwood Hotel is looking better than ever. Although none of the rooms are open at the time of this writing, the hotel has been used for quite a few events since renovation began, and office space is now available on the main floor. The future is bright once more for this beautiful piece of history.

Helpful Resource

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
The NRHP nomination accepted in 2006, along with more historical information and a detailed description of the building in the early phases of restoration.

Keep Reading...

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Architecture, History, Preservation, The West, Travel

Avatar for hsotr

About hsotr

Motivated by her experience growing up on a small farm near Wichita, Kansas, Michelle Lindsey started Homestead on the Range to supply Kansas country living enthusiasts with the innovative resources that they need to succeed and has now been keeping families informed and inspired for over five years. Michelle is the author of three country living books. She is also a serious student of history, specializing in Kansas, agriculture, and the American West. When not pursuing hobbies ranging from music to cooking to birdwatching, she can usually be found researching, writing, or living out the country dream.

Before Footer

Footer

Stay Posted

Enter your email address to receive new posts via email.

Topics

Animal Health Birdwatching Books Breeding Cattle Dairy Dogs Draft Animals Enterprises Faith Family Field Crops Food Fruit Goats Health & Fitness History Horses Insect Pests Links Livestock Marketing Music Native Americans Nature Nutrition Ornamental Plants Outdoors Pastures Pets Planning Plant Health Poultry Quotes Scripture Passages Sheep Small-Scale Farming Soil Stewardship Supplies The West Travel Vegetables Water Weather

More Resources

  • Our Books
  • Our Guides
  • Our Newsletters
  • Quick Start Pages
  • The Gallery
  • The Homestead Bookshelf
  • Your Path to Abundant Living in Flyover Country

Affiliate Disclosure

Throughout this site you will find affiliate links to items that we have read or used and highly recommend. If you decide to use the links to make a purchase, please be aware that we will receive a small compensation. For more information, please read our affiliate disclosure. Thank you!

  • About
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Updates

Copyright © 2013–2021 All rights reserved. No content on this site may be reproduced in any way without prior written permission. By using this site you are agreeing to our terms of use.