Redlands Hotel
400 N. Queen St, Palestine, TXImpetus for construction of the Redlands Hotel resulted from the concern of business leaders who believed that Palestine needed a first-class hostelry. Built as a hotel in 1914-1915, the Redlands reportedly was the largest hotel between Dallas and Houston, and at its opening, was considered one of the finest hotels in the state. Shortly after its construction, however, the building was converted into general offices for the I&GN Railroad, which had been ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to relocate its headquarters from Houston to Palestine in 1918. The Redlands remained the headquarters of the I&GN until the mid 1950s. As the only 2-part vertical block building in Palestine for many decades, the Redlands was the largest building in the town and its size and ornamentation symbolized the great wealth and prosperity which the arrival of the railroad brought to Palestine. Today, the building remains an impressive and prominent downtown landmark and an outstanding example of early 20th century commercial architecture. The Redlands Hotel fits within the larger context of Community and Regional Development of Palestine, Texas: 1846-1945 and is nominated to the National Register at the local level of significance.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
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.