 |
| The Brown Hotel, circa 1938. |
Ever wish you had snapped a photograph of something that’s now a long, lost memory?
That’s how we feel about the Brown Hotel.
If you were dressed to the nines, had deep pockets and were ready to party, the Brown was the place to be in the early 1900s. Today, all that’s remaining is photos of The Brown’s exterior. There are no known photos of the interior. Maybe it’s fitting that this old hangout remains a little bit of a mystery, since this hotel that doubled as a casino had its share of secrets. Brushing up on The Brown’s history:
It was the largest casino of the era
Casinos were operating on the French Lick and West Baden Springs Hotel properties until 1906, when authorities raided and closed them. Gambling activities then shifted to independently owned hotels and supper clubs that housed casinos. The largest one was Al Brown’s new casino, which was literally a stone’s throw across the street from French Lick Springs Hotel. Today, this is where the town green is located.
If The Brown’s yellow brick looks familiar, there’s a good reason. William Homer Floyd was the architect for both buildings. The four-story Brown Hotel, also referred to as Brown’s Club and Brown Casino, first opened in 1898.
Ties to French Lick Springs Hotel and its owner?
In addition to the yellow brick, The Brown shared the same heating plant as French Lick Springs Hotel. (If you believe local legend, there was also an underground tunnel connecting the two.) Considering French Lick’s guests headed to The Brown to gamble at night, the links between the two were undeniable. French Lick Springs Hotel owner Tom Taggart was almost certainly financially linked to The Brown, but always denied it.
It also housed an Oriental shop, drugstore, furniture store, jewelry store and Public Service Electric Company. Those were on the first floor, while the casino section was located in the rear of the building. The Brown also served gourmet food, and pictured here is a china set recovered from The Brown.
The West Baden Springs Hotel owner ran the gambling
interests
After Al Brown left town in 1908 following a spat with Taggart, Ed Ballard took control of the gambling operations at The Brown. Ballard owned West Baden Springs Hotel and also ran the gambling operations at many other casinos in the Valley. Taking over The Brown certainly bolstered his casino empire.
 |
| The Brown in its earliest days |
Locals weren’t allowed to gamble
Among the other house rules: intoxicating liquor was not allowed, and all guests were required to wear formal evening dress at night.
These casino chips changed hands among the wealthy guests of The Brown. Some are marked "BC," for Brown Casino.
Glitz and glamour ruled
For an even better visualization of the decadence of The
Brown, here’s a segment from James Vaughn’s “The Dome in the Valley” book which
quotes an old newspaper article about what the casino’s atmosphere was like:
“Shortly after 9 o’clock (p.m.) the lobby of the French Lick Springs Hotel becomes deserted. In groups of fours and sixes the guests don their wraps and cross the street to (The Brown). … The rooms on the second floor are three stories high. The first one which is entered from a richly carpeted hall is fitted up with luxurious leather chairs and divans as a reception room. Directly off it is the main gambling room — almost similar to the lobby of French Lick Springs Hotel — with an encircling balcony and a ceiling studded with electric lights arranged in geometric figures. At the farther end is a huge blackboard, on which the race track entries are chalked up. The various gambling tables line the walls, and each has its own shaded lamps. It is here that from 300 to 500 men and women from all over America gather nightly and try their luck.”
 |
| This photo of two men near The Brown's entrance in the 1960s was one of the last photos of the building; it was torn down by 1965. |
The connection to current-day French Lick Casino
The Brown lived an exciting but short life; after a 1949 raid by state officials closed the local casinos, it was later demolished in two phases in 1963 and ’65. But the next time you visit French Lick, keep an eye out for part of The Brown that lives on today. The exterior dome of French Lick Casino was patterned after the dome that once topped The Brown.
