Construction of the Hotel El Paso de Robles began on May 11, 1889, with one million bricks piled at the site. In November 1889, the El Paso de Robles Hotel Company was incorporated by five stockholders: Drury and Louisa James, Daniel and Cecelia Blackburn, and Ed Burns. Designed by Jacob Lenzen, the hotel was completed in October 1891 and was regarded as one of the most romantic structures in San Luis Obispo County and California. It stood in the northernmost part of the original El Paso de Robles Mexican land grant, which Daniel and James Blackburn and Lazarus Godchaux had purchased from Petronillo Rios on August 1, 1857. An earlier El Paso Robles Hotel had been completed on this site in June 1864 by Dr. Faliaferro Johnson and remained in use until October 12, 1891. The Hotel El Paso de Robles was destroyed by fire on December 12, 1940, and the present Paso Robles Inn was completed on the site in February 1942. Linden and Harriett Chandler purchased the Paso Robles Inn property in December 1962.