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| Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, the ten-story McCartney, even
while vacant, continues to dominate Texarkana's
skyline. The hotel (in 1929) replaced the smaller (three-story) Cosmopolitan
which was demolished. Both hotels were built on the first town lot
sold in the city of Texarkana. |
| Photo
courtesy Texarkana Museums System |
The hotel's namesake,
W.A. McCartney, Sr. came to Texarkana
at the age of four (in 1874) and became one of the towns most prominent
citizens - even becoming known as Texarkana's
unofficial historian.
The hotel stands directly across the street from the main entrance
to Union
Station Terminal. |
The Hotel McCartney
in its heyday.
Postcard courtesy James Ramsey |
| Designed
to be pedestrian-friendly, the lobby and mezzanine were accessible
from the south, east, and west facades. A ballroom and roof attached
to the mezzanine. There have been no drastic alterations since the
hotel's opening day and its beautiful gold and silver Art
Deco interiors remain intact. The mezzanine features an elaborate
skylight and another notable features include marble wainscotting
and a curved marble staircase. |
| Photo
courtesy James Ramsey |
Having
had such a dependence on rail passengers, the hotel's business decreased
as travel by rail was eclipsed by air travel. Except for being used
briefly as a backdrop for a 1976 movie - and as a storage facility
- the hotel has not seen a guest since the mid 1970s.
© James Ramsey
June 22,
2005 |
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