Rudolf Hotel
Central Ave. and 2nd St., Valley City, NDThe Valley City business district has been dominated by the Rudolf Hotel over the past 75 years. The hotel was opened on Independence Day, July 4, 1907, by Rudolph Giselius, a prominent city businessman. The name Rudolf was taken from the developer's first name, Rudolph, but the last two letters were changed for ease of spelling. Over the years many famous guests were entertained at the Rudolf Hotel, including Teddy Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, J.C. Penny, Madame Schumann-Heinck, Anna Case, and Billy Sunday.
Valley City service club's and businesses have made their homes in the hotel, which included the Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis Clubs. Businesses included the KOVC Radio Station, a chiropractor and the office of Dr. Hulett, who carried out his practice there.
Mr. Giselius promoted numerous community projects, and one of his favorites was to employ college men at the hotel and pay their tuition. Giselius started construction on the hotel in 1905 and owned it until his death in 1944. Upon completion of the south portion of the hotel in 1907, Giselius started planning a 50 foot addition to the north, which after its construction in 1909, housed a billiard hall and retail shops on the main floor, six offices and apartments on the second floor, and hotel rooms on the third floor.
The hotel business was sold in 1918 to Mr. Sampson, but Giselius re-purchased it in 1920. In 1930 the business was sold to Rowekamp and McKenzie, who returned in after operating the hotel for three years. Oscar Fode of Jamestown, North Dakota bought the building and business after Giselius's death in 1944 and, later the same year, sold the business to Howard Brier of Valley City. John Lord and David Anderson of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota purchased the hotel building and operations in 1966. From 1970 to 1975 Vincent Zacharias operated the hotel, and from 1975 to 1978 Don Sandbothe was in charge of the business. The Northwestern National Bank and Fidelity Savings and Loan Association received the building from Sandbothe in 1978 and closed the hotel.
In 1928 a fire damaged the north portion of the hotel, but with no injuries. This portion of the hotel was then remodeled, with Gilbert Horton from Jamestown, North Dakota as architect. A storm in 1940 sent the huge KOVC transmitting tower located on the roof crashing into a room, but again no one was injured.
Directed by changing economic conditions, the hotel has not operated for three years. Stanley Ryan, George Gaukler, and Norman Triebwasser are planning a substantial rehabilitation of the Rudolf Hotel, including conversion of the transient room to apartments. Their goal is to restore the viability of a commercial enterprise and ensure the continued existence of an architectural and historical landmark that is the only remaining hotel in Valley City, North Dakota.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.