Northwood Institute - Norfinda Yearbook (West Baden, IN)

Page 10 text:

ii aa € Taw In 1916 the hotel changed hands. Mr. Ed Ballard a well respected man from West Baden became the new owner. Guests swarmed in for many reasons. The famous spring waters were known to cure numerous ailments. Bicycling on the huge wooden track was only one of the popular sports. For the riding enthusiast the hotel stables housed some of the finest Kentucky breds. If a guest wished to keep abreast of Stock Market investments, he found the Stock Market room located right off the atrium. The atrium continued to be the scene of many nationwide conventions, with ban- quets held for up to 1500 guests. Yet people still enjoyed hours of relaxation on the spacious porch.

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In 1901 disaster strikes. A beautiful hotel is destroyed by fire. Undaunted by this unfortunate twist of fate, Colonel L. Sin- clair set out to have an even more magnifi- cent and fireproof hotel built. No architect would have the job, until Sinclair came across the young unknown Harrison Albright. On June 14, 1902, just one year after the great fire, the new hotel opened. The dome that everyone said could not be built was regarded as an eighth wonder of the world. It is 130 feet above the ground. Under it the atrium resembles a Pompeian court. Hand laid Italian marble mosaic covers the circle of 200 feet in diameter. The hotel pro- vides 708 rooms for its guests from all over the world.

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The Ballard empire came tumbling down with the Stock Market Crash of 1929, and the hotel emptied in a matter of days. Mr. Ballard was — heartbroken. He knew that, if the hotel remain- ed vacant, it would deteriorate. Thus in 1933 he sold it to the Society of Jesus for $1, and it was used for a Jesuit Seminary. Finally, in 1966 Mr. and Mrs. Whiting of Midland, Michigan purchas- ed and donated buildings and grounds to North- wood Institute. For the young College, the hotel has become a beautiful old foundation for a great new era.