The Construction of the Cherokee Hotel

by Margot Still
Cleveland Bradley County Library History Branch and Archives

An editorial in the Cleveland Herald on March 23, 1928 reflected the feeling most citizens of Cleveland were experiencing: “Like every other patriotic and forward looking citizen of this community, the Cleveland Herald is extremely gratified at the successful completion and auspicious opening of the Cherokee Hotel. This enterprise is one that was needed, in the first place. No city the size of Cleveland can any longer hold it place in time with other cities of its class without the convenience of a first class hotel. Cleveland is therefore fortunate in that the Cherokee has been completed and opened at the present time. The city is, one may say, in on the ground floor. But in the next place, the putting over of this fine piece of enterprise by the citizens of this city is an achievement that means volumes for the future of Cleveland. If the enterprising citizens of this town can do what was regarded by many as the impossible, they can do this impossible again and again in the future along other lines of endeavor. The successful culmination of this project simply probes that with faith in each other and cooperation this city is not dependent on outsiders to come in and give it a hand.”

In the words of T.L. Rogers, “For some unknown and mysterious reason the idea of building a hotel in Cleveland came in my thoughts and mind in my awake hours after the latter part of the night. I would continually, without any desire or any idea how it would be done, I was building a hotel on the John Hoyle lot where the present Cherokee Hotel stands.” Without question, T.L. Rogers was the driving force in getting the idea off the ground. He pursued Walter Rodgers, knowing he and Mr. Hoyle were close friends, about the idea of purchasing the lot. T.L Rogers was ultimately successful in purchasing the lot for $40,000. In a twist of irony, while Mr. Rogers was garnering financial support for his hotel venture, the Princess Theater was looking for a location and offered to purchase a portion of the lot for $20,000! 

In a discussion with Frank Harle, the suggestion was made to name the new construction effort the “Cherokee Hotel.” T.L. Rogers paid the initial charter fee of $265 (approximately $4200 in 2022) with no assurance the hotel would be constructed. The charter required five men to support the endeavor and the initial paperwork was drawn by Charles Mayfield, who was doubtful at the prospects of success. The charter was signed by Jess Hargis, Theodore Stivers, T.L. Rogers, Charles S. Mayfield, Charlie Harle, Hugh Knox, C.L. Hardwick and George L. Hardwick, Jr.. C.L. had stepped into the law office looking for Charlie Mayfield and signed in the hall. George Hardwick signed on the street while campaigning for Mayor. Jess Hargis, C.L. Hardwick, T.L. Rogers and Theodore Stivers each threw $2500 ($40,000 in 2022) into the collective pot. In the course of a few days of selling stock, the decision was made to set up a ‘temporary organization.’ A meeting was held in Charlie Mayfield’s office with a ‘goodly crowd’ and over the protests of C.L. Hardwick, C.L. was made President. Theodore Stivers was made Secretary Treasurer and the campaign for funds was formally launched. The Cherokee Hotel was underway. George Hardwick, Sr. suggested a fund raising banquet, which was held in the basement of the Southern Methodist Church. While considerable stock was sold that night, C.L. was becoming a bit anxious under pressure from builders and architects over the ambiguity of a start date for construction. C.L. began to back away from the idea of being President and suggested there might be a better man for the job. T.L. writes, “The latter threw consternation in the minds of the directors and I tried to get his wife (Clyde Johnston Hardwick) over the telephone but could not do it, so I wrote him a letter, and he came to my office the next morning and told me that the letter done him more good than anything that had happened in a ways and said that if the people wanted the hotel as bad as we did there would be no trouble to build it. I said, ‘C.L. people never build anything, all you have got to do is to stick with us and we will build it’ and he agreed not to resign then, but I kept calling his wife and in calling her about the third day her mother answered the telephone and knew my voice and Mrs. Johnston said, ‘Mr. Rogers, I know what you want, she said I heard Clyde tell him that she wanted him to build that hotel if it burst him and I just hung the telephone up without any further comment and said out loud to myself,  ‘THANK GOD THAT’S OVER, and never worried anymore about the hotel for I was satisfied that the letter of Mr. Hardwick’s to the Directors was just to scare us up and he had no intention of resigning or of letting the hotel project fail.”

Construction on the Hotel Cherokee began in June, 1927. The Reverend George W. Coleman, a 92-year-old Methodist minister, turned the first shovel of dirt to mark the beginning of construction. Rev. Coleman was the father-in-law of T.L. Rogers. While the initial contract had been with an Asheville, NC construction firm, the bid was relet due to a failure by the Ashville firm to post the necessary bond. The contract was signed with T.S. Moudy Construction Company and work began on Friday, June 11. Reports of the progress of the building were a part of the regular news around town.  The framework of the hotel was completed, with the exception of the roof, by September 30, and the brickwork was slowly working upward. The hotel was finished a month late due to failure of materials to arrive on time. The ballpark cost of construction was around $300,000. No exact figures are given. The Herald from March 23, 1928 reported, “The ground floor is given over to retail stores, entrance to the hotel proper being made by a wide flight of steps on the Depot street side. A promenade is formed by the outer jutting of the first floor. The hotel numbers 72 guest rooms, 60 equipped with tub baths and 10 with shower baths. Electricity and Tennessee Electric Power service will play an important part in the operation of the new building. In addition to lighting, current will be supplied for the operation of two elevators.” The room rate was $1.50 to $3.50, owing to size, location and bath arrangements. The hotel opened for the reception of guests on Wednesday, March 9, 1928. The first registered guest was Fred H. McGee of Cleveland, Ohio linking the two “Clevelands” together.  Two occupants moved into the vacant space on the ground floor: Western Union moved into one of the vacant rooms and barber W.H. Bowman relocated his shop there. The manager of the hotel was Mr. Homer Burkhead, from Alabama. 

The grand opening ceremonies for the Hotel Cherokee were held Tuesday, March 20, 1928. Governor Henry H. Horton was guest of honor and chief speaker upon that occasion. P.B. Mayfield, emcee for the event, represented the Chamber of Commerce.  Rev. Coleman, who turned the first spade of dirt, broke spiritual ground for the hotel by praying the invocation. Four hundred guests were served a sumptuous meal prepared by the hotel staff.

A specially prepared issue of the Herald proclaimed the event. Mayor W.J. Parks, Recorder J. Walter Blackburn, and the six aldermen sponsored a full page advertisement. They indicated that they were “not commemorating the occasion of the completion of a mere building of brick and steel.” They reported that they saw “the spirit of the Old South and the New South joining hands to build a new empire rich in its traditions and glorious in its future.” The Banner also carried a special feature on the new hotel, and editor Rodgers viewed the “Cherokee Hotel [as] an index to Prosperity.” The hotel was nice, new, luxurious, spacious, and attracted the attention of many groups and individuals. The civic clubs dined and held their meetings there. Other clubs and social groups also held their special meetings there. An observer in March 1929 noted that “Cleveland has within a year become so used to the hotel-it has become such an important fixture in Cleveland’s life, that it is regarded almost as it had always been there.” The hotel passed its first birthday with no special celebration. The hotel did receive the “gold seal” recognition in September 1929 when the state hotel inspection department rated it high on their list. Points considered in evaluation included sanitation, cleanliness, equipment and safety. Valued at $300,000 the hotel was considered “many years in advance of the city’s full needs.” By the second year, the hotel gained more than $10,000 in income over the previous year. In June 1930, the hotel came to the attention of Harry H. Miles of Murfreesboro. Impressed with what he saw, he leased the facility for a number of years.

The first “social event” at the hotel was the marriage of Mr. Merion Shields who as superintendent for the contractors, supervised the erection of the new hotel, and who was “more than fortunate in winning for his bride one of the fairest and most amiable young women of this city.”  Until the completion of the North Cleveland Towers in the mid 1970s, the Cherokee Hotel was the tallest building in Cleveland. In December 1963, the Cherokee sold for $166,600 ($1.5 million in 2022) to Cleveland businessman Hollace Priddy.

At a meeting of the board of directors after completion of the hotel, a loving cup was presented to C.L. Hardwick, president of the New Cherokee Hotel company. “The gift was a complete surprise to Mr. Hardwick who was visibly touched by the incident.” The cup was inscribed: Presented by his grateful fellow stockholders to C.L. Hardwick for his leadership which made possible the Cherokee Hotel, Cleveland, Tennessee, 1928.” No word on what Clyde received.

T. L. Rogers provided a wonderful hotel legacy to Cleveland by pushing for the completion of the Cherokee Hotel. Even today, some of the original work can be seen on the outside of the building. Over the front doors, the original stones with “H” and “C” remain in place. In addition, T.L. had the foresight to record the process in a written affidavit outlining the process by which the hotel came to fruition and recording it at the Bradley County Courthouse with the Register of Deeds. The citations found in this article are sourced from this document as well as the Cleveland Herald special edition published to mark this event. More information is available at the Cleveland Bradley County Library History Branch and Archives.