Hotel Charlotte was a 13-story hotel in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which opened in 1924. It was on the corner of Trade Street and Poplar Street in the Uptown area of Charlotte.
While primarily known by the name "Hotel Charlotte", it also operated under the names "Queen Charlotte Hotel" and "White House Inn." It closed for business on December 31, 1973. It was designed by William Lee Stoddart and was a steel-frame building sheathed with sections of gray granite and a buff-colored brick. It housed 250 guest rooms.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1979.
In the years following its closure, attempts were made to find developers who could rehabilitate and preserve the structure. However, as the building languished, it was severely vandalized and much of its interior plumbing and wiring stolen by looters. Hotel Charlotte was imploded on November 6, 1988. David Copperfield used the implosion as the setting for his escape in the TV special The Explosive Encounter. Demolition of the building has been cited by critics as symbolic of the city's disinterest in preserving its past.
A restaurant of the same name was created in its honor and reused many interior pieces from the original hotel. The restaurant ceased operations on January 29, 2011.
References
Omni Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - Omni Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America 132 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC, 28202, United States of America 4-star hotel with outdoor pool, near Time Warner Cable Arena.
External links
- Video of the implosion
