Fair Forest Hotel
National Register Listing
Street Address:
221 E. Main St., Union, SC (Union County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817744020
Description and Narrative:
The Fair Forest Hotel is a five-story skyscraper that dominates the Main Street of downtown Union. Constructed of steel and concrete, the building is faced with brick and limestone and features Classical Revival detailing. Constructed in 1924-26, the hotel was designed by H. Olin Jones, an architect from Greenville, South Carolina, and was built by King Lumber Company of Charlottesville, Virginia. The Fair Forest Hotel was financed through a stock subscription project that involved many citizens of Union. The hotel is significant for its association with the development of the city during the 1920s, a decade characterized by growth, optimism, and community pride. In addition, the Fair Forest Hotel is a locally significant example of the early twentieth century mode of skyscraper construction and composition. The façade is composed of three parts: a base, an intermediate shaft, and a capital. The one-story base is faced with limestone and has a central pedimented main entrance sheltered by a flat metal awning. The three-story shaft of the façade is faced with textured brick. The capital story is separated from the shaft by a stone belt course and is also faced with textured brick. A full entablature with a tripartite architrave, a plain frieze, and a Corinthian cornice crowns the building. A brick parapet with stone balustrades and coping is above the cornice. Interesting features on the interior of the building include the original elevator, central vacuum system, and brass hardware. Listed in the National Register November 1, 1984.
Period of Significance:
1924 – 1926
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Commerce;Architecture;Other
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
November 1 1984
