Ellen Dean Hotel
National Register Listing
Street Address:
113-141 North White Street, Lancaster (Lancaster County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S1087729029
Description and Narrative:
Constructed in 1941, the Ellen Dean Hotel is a two-story, L-shaped, mixed-use masonry building that exemplifies the mid-century development of downtown Lancaster and the evolution of its commercial lodging industry. Located on North White Street one block east of Main Street, the Ellen Dean was mid-century Lancaster’s marquee establishment for short-term housing and one of its most frequently used public event spaces, hosting special events in its locally renowned Rainbow Room. The property featured shops on the first floor and guest rooms on the second, providing both accommodations and retail opportunities to downtown Lancaster. The hotel’s success prompted an expansion in 1946 to accommodate additional travelers. The building does not represent a clear architectural style, exhibiting a restrained, minimal traditional commercial style common in the early years of the Second World War. Its form represents the shift in lodging establishments from traditional hotels to the newly conceived motor hotel all while incorporating retail stores on the first level and service amenities at the basement level. Despite poor structural conditions, the building retains integrity from its period of significance, which begins with the hotel’s 1941 completion and ends in 1970, when the hotel was temporarily shut down after several years of decline. Listed in the National Register June 13, 2022.
Period of Significance:
1941 – 1970
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Commerce
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
June 13 2022
