National Preservation Month has got us feeling a little nostalgic.
All through the month of May we're sharing our unique preservation story with you. And it's fun to see where we've come in such a short window of time. Today we're firing up the time machine to see what French Lick Springs Hotel looked like in 2005-06 during the multi-million dollar restoration of the hotel. And because there's too many good photos to share for just one post, we'll do the same for West Baden Springs Hotel early next week.
The lobby is a pretty good place to start. As you can see, it was stripped pretty bare when this restoration rehaul was first getting underway in June 2005. Floor to ceiling, everything received a touch-up.
Hand-laying mosaic tiles is a painstaking process. Especially when this puzzle was missing a few pieces. Some of the lobby floor had patches of missing or damaged tiles. But a fortuitous stroke of luck came when we discovered boxes of unused extra tiles in the hotel basement.
Craftsmen used kneepads and pillows to protect their bodies during the long hours they spent laying new tiles and cleaning up existing ones.
See the piano and painting on the wall in this pre-restoration photo? Hiding behind that wall was an original fireplace that had been covered up for years. The restored fireplace is a feature of the lobby you see today.
The detail work in the renovation was stunning, even in the areas not at eye level. Work is underway on the ceiling murals, a feature that was added during restoration.
The former LeBistro restaurant, which was once an open area that flowed from the lobby, was enclosed and turned into 1875: The Steakhouse. The exterior of this area — the former Pluto Pavilion where guests were once served Pluto mineral water — also received a facelift with gold leafing added to the roof.
The beauty of restoration is shining a light on things most people haven't seen before. One of them is this tunnel on the hotel's lower level that was formerly a crawl space in the original hotel. It required five months of hand-digging, and originally it was to be used only by employees as an access hallway, opened for guests to see as well. Today, you can walk through this area to see and touch some of the foundation stones from the original 1845 hotel.
Work in progress on the cornices give a striking perspective of how the building appeared before and after.
Unfortunately, not everything from the pre-restoration era could feasibly be saved. The old domed hotel pool was one of the casualties, to clear way for the new terrace and gardens.
Out with the old awning, in with the new. Nearby, the small shack outside the front of the hotel was moved a couple feet during the process of raising the land around the hotel.
When you can't save all of it ... at least save part of it. That's what happened to the old switchboard that powered the hotel in its early days. Some of the hotel's ancillary buildings like the bottling plant and powerhouse did not survive the years, but the switchboard found a new home (and was the naming inspiration) at Power Plant Bar & Grill inside French Lick Springs Hotel.
And when you can't use something in its original state ... repurpose it for a new use. That's what happened to this wrought iron from an old hotel staircase railing, which found a new home at the entrance of The Grand Colonnade Restaurant.
Speaking of the Grand Colonnade, the beautiful chandeliers were also a restoration victory. Covered up for years by a drop ceiling in another part of the hotel, they were refurbished and moved to the Colonnade.
As recently as 20 years ago, the hotel's exterior looked markedly different with fire escapes, window air conditioner units, and years of wear on the yellow brick that was cured during restoration.
Work in progress on the exterior veranda, and interior mezzanine.
Above is the the beginning stages of the Promenade of Shoppes, formerly a wing of guestrooms that got repurposed. Below are a couple more photos that represent how the hotel's interior was essentially gutted before being built anew. All these photos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to showing where the hotel started to where we are now. Just a little glimpse into one of the greatest preservation feats not only in Indiana, but the entire country.
