At the turn of the 20th century, Covington was famous for its healthful, healing environment, drawing excursionists by schooner and by rail to breathe the pine-scented air and drink the pure waters. To accommodate many guests, Covington, like other towns on the north shore, offered hotels and home-like resorts. The Southern Hotel opened on June 1, 1907, designed in the shape of the letter "H" and built at a cost of $100,000. Its chef and assistants had been employed by first class hotels and restaurants in New Orleans. The hotel featured 200 feet of galleries overlooking New Hampshire Street, a formal garden, a tennis court, and cages with tame and exotic animals in the central lobby around an artesian fountain. From the 1980s until a few years before restoration began in 2012, the building housed government offices.