History…Returns
Circa-1950, the Cross House was converted by Scott Mouse, Jr., into the Palace Motel.
There were two motel rooms on the first floor, five on the second, and six in the basement. In the hot summers, in an age before air-conditioning was common, the latter rooms would have been sought after. There were also accommodations, dorm-style, in the massive open top floor.
The basement rooms were furnished with “dressing tables of all-steel construction in varying colors”, as per a 1950 Emporia Gazette article.
As of yesterday, however, almost nothing remained of the Palace Motel conversion save a single derelict bathroom in the basement.
But today? Well, today something from the Palace returned to the house!
Oh my!
The Palace Motel. Click to enlarge. Image courtesy Mouse family archives.
Today, two of the “dressing tables of all-steel construction in varying colors” returned to the house, courtesy of Bob Rodak.
Jarrett brought this image to my attention. You can see two dressing tables in this 1999 image. And…two small square tables! I assume these were nightstands? Does Bob have these, too?
The tables are in poor condition. The tops look VERY bad but this is just old contact paper.
I will certainly have at least one table restored.
Bob thinks he has one all-steel bed, too. I am breathless with excitement.
I would kill for interior images of the Palace Motel but to date none have been found. Poo.
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You can also see the tables in the last image here.
Oh! Wow!
Thanks, Jarrett!
I added the image to the post!
Brilliant time-capsule!
Time capsule indeed!
So are you thinking of doing a Mouse House suite to go with your Mouse House bath?
Recreating one of the original hotel suites in the basement is a fabulous idea! I love it!
It is a tantalizing idea but I would only do it if I found an archival image of a Palace Motel basement room.
What did the bed look like? Bedspread? Lighting? Curtains? Pictures? Rugs?