City Directories and History: 1954 – Fairforest Barber Shop, (#221) Fairforest Hotel
This structure, the old Fairforest Hotel, does not appear on the accompanying 1917 Sanborn Insurance Maps of Union, SC. The grand hotel was constructed on the vacant lot between what was then the N.W. Bottling Company and the row of brick commercial buildings along East Main Street.
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. [Courtesy of the S.C. Dept. of Archives and History]
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