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Good Place To Sleep and Eat

The Central Hotel  started out as a tavern in 1840, by 1900, it was a four-story hotel with an elegant dining room.  Located at the southeast corner of the Square (Trade and Tryon Streets), it also featured the Gem Restaurant, which enabled working men to grab a quick lunch.

In 1907, The Highland Hotels Company opened the fabulous six-story Selwyn Hotel. Designed by Atlanta architect, Willis F.  Denny (1874-1905), who died before the building was completed, the Selwyn was an enormous hotel located on the northeast corner of West Trade and North Church Streets. It was the city's first fire-proof building.The hotel was designed to attract tourists as well as business men. Of the 150 rooms, 75 had a private bath, which was rarity at the time. Other ammenities at the Selwyn included a in-house barber shop, long-distance phone booths as well as telephones in each room, a newsstand, electric lights, a pool room, an ice plant, the telegraph office and a Turkish bath. It's dining room attracted local Charlotteans as well as hotel guests.

There were more hotels than this in Uptown Charlotte, but these are two of the largest and most well-known.

 

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