Las vegas new mexico harvey house

And although the Harvey Houses prospered for decades, the Great Depression and the the rise of the popularity of automobiles ultimately took its toll on the trackside hotel business model. The Castaneda Hotel was closed by the railway in , and sat largely unused for the next 70 years. After an ambitious renovation, the Castaneda Hotel celebrated its grand reopening on October 27, , when descendants of Fred Harvey, former Harvey employees and folks instrumental in the renovation of the property were welcomed as overnight guests.

And although the restored property has the ambiance of yesteryear, modern-day access features were also added, so today wheelchair-users and slow walkers can overnight in a well appointed wheelchair-accessible room in this grand old gem. It had 37 guestrooms, plus a seat dining room and a seat lunch counter. The railroad also had their offices on the first floor. The guestrooms were most often described as cozy — today we would call them downright tiny — and they were spartanly furnished with a bed, a radiator, a dresser and a sink.

There were only six bathrooms at the hotel, which were shared by overnight guests — a common practice of the time. Today the property boasts 22 spacious suites, all equipped with equally spacious bathrooms.

And if you look carefully in the rooms, you can see the vague outlines of the former room borders on the floors. The hallway doors to the original rooms were also left intact — some now go to storage rooms, while others are merely decorative. Furnishing the historic property was a project in itself, as Affeldt networked with antique dealers across the country to find Victoria-era furnishings.

And luckily he also found some era-appropriate furnishings in the Southwest, to give the property a real local feel. Lath and mortar showed through the walls, gutters sagged, part of the foundation had collapsed, and windows open to rain, wind and snow. Now, to the delight of visitors, the boards are off the windows.

The grand staircase once again rises majestically from the lobby to the second floor, and guests sip mojitos and pisco sours in graceful arched loggias.

That someone was Affeldt, an entrepreneur who has a soft spot in his heart for historic hotels of the Southwest. Designed by Pasadena architect Frederick Roehrig, it introduced the region to the Mission Revival building style.

There was, however, one exception: the La Posada in whistle-stop Winslow, Ariz. Affeldt discovered the hotel on a National Register of Historic Places endangered list in and bought it, although it had been condemned, from the Santa Fe railroad.

I stayed there for the first time in , getting to know the building and its owners, none of them architects or hoteliers. It was crazy and magical, though I secretly wondered how they would make a go of it. But they did. Big time. Harvey aficionados started coming out of the woodwork with the reopening of La Posada. There were Harvey books, articles, gatherings, re-enactments, ranger talks at the Grand Canyon and renovations to re-emphasize the Harvey era at La Fonda.

It is home to about 13, people and almost 1, registered historic buildings, most dating to the 19th century. The coffee was made fresh just before the trains arrived and a pinch of salt was added to neutralize bitterness. Some Harvey Houses used spring or bottled water to keep the taste consistent with the other locations. Today, the coffee pot stands proudly in our lunchroom. Today, our Zahner coffee pot stands proudly in the lunchroom. P ictured below is the original Belen Harvey House lunchroom with three, highly polished Zahner coffee pots.

These advertisements, reprinted from the s industry trade magazine, Hotel Monthly, show examples, prices and descriptions of the Zahner coffee pots. The Zahner Company, located in Missouri, made the steam tables, kitchen equipment and the coffee pots for the Fred Harvey Company.

Remembering the Judy Garland Movie! Click on image for movie information and video clips. Visit Our Gift Shop. Unique items, and all the proceeds support the Museum. We have a collection of Fred Harvey T-shirts, books and videos. Your purchase helps with special Museum programs and exhibits. We are still adding more items. The Museum Gift Shop is open. Thank You! Click image to purchase our new coffee! Join The Ranks of the Fun Employed!

Around Town in Belen! Within walking distance from the Museum. Pete's Cafe. Judy Chicago's Through the Flower Artspace. Belen Art League. The Grid Gallery Becker Ave. Studio Becker Ave. Tour the Montezuma Castle.