It began its life as a residential hotel of modest dimensions, located at the edge of downtown. The neighborhood had been part of the tony residential district, and no doubt when the locals saw a few old elegant historic mansions fall so they could build a hotel, they wondered what was happening to the town.  

Or maybe not. I doubt they saw the old houses as “historic” in the sense we’d see them today. This new hotel? Progress!

It began small, as you see above. Then . . .