The Western Hotel

Built in 1949, The Western Hotel was designed after the typical roadside inns of the era. A two and a half story structure, it is an excellent example of American roadside architecture. Its concrete foundation supports a concrete block structure with brick veneer, the floors are precast concrete, and the flat roof has a 12-inch overhang. The windows are all steel casements, and the first floor is elevated six feet off the ground so the lower level could be equipped with full-sized windows. A one-story porch spans the entire front and wraps around for ten feet on the side of the building, featuring very simple steel columns and railings. Equipped with a period lobby and Art Deco check-in counter, it has two floors featuring both single and twin rooms with baths, while the basement houses a large woman's dormitory for communal accommodations and a smaller men's dormitory. It boasts being the first fire-proof building in the state of Indiana and offers a nostalgic setting where visitors can step back in time upon entering its front doors. During the summer, visitors sit in the old-style gliders on the front porch chatting and exchanging messages they received from loved ones.

Chesterfield, Indiana · United States