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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Supreme Court extends same-sex marriage nationwide ... Our View: A smooth start ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, June 26 ... Supreme Court extends same-sex marriage nationwide ... Our View: A smooth start ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, June 26 ... OPENED IN 1925 Ashland Springs Hotel celebrates 90th anniversary Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News Long the signature jewel of town, the stately and historical Ashland Springs Hotel celebrates its 90th anniversary on July 1 with a Roaring Twenties dinner and ball. The nine-story colonial structure was built by local investors who touted it as the natural resting spot for motorists driving between the big cities of California and the Northwest, as well as a haven for those taking the healthful “Lithia waters” and garnering moral and mental edification from the nearby Chautauqua lectures. These were held in a giant dome from whose ruins the Oregon Shakespeare Festival sprouted in 1935. Builders originally drew up plans for a hotel three stories shorter than the present one, but then realized that, with only three more, it would achieve the cachet of being the tallest building between Portland and San Francisco. If the large mezzanine is counted, it would be ten stories. It was financed by a $185,000 stock issue. “Their premise was ‘build it and they will come,’" says owner Doug Neuman.  It opened in 1925 as the Lithia Springs Hotel, blared that it was a “modern, fireproof hotel,” and then took a big whack with the onset of the Great Depression. In 1960, it got in tune with the thriving OSF, renaming itself as the Mark Antony. Owners in 1982 went bankrupt and by 1997 the hotel was abandoned and falling apart. Present owners Doug and Becky Neuman bought it in 1997 for $1.5 million, then did a $12 million restoration over two years, bringing a Victorian elegance, echoing that of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and won it an article in the prestigious Architectural Digest. Noted designers Candra Scott and Richard Anderson of San Francisco reshaped the look and sense of place to that of an ornithologist and naturalist who might be a presenter at Chautauqua, says Becky Neuman. She calls the hotel “the Grande Dame.”  “We didn’t want a fancy hotel here,” she notes. “We wanted people to remember the colors of nature.”  “And that it had character,” adds Doug Neuman. General Manager Don Anway says, “We focused on creating a unique experience in which to celebrate Southern Oregon, a wonderful backbone of that experience while staying at a beautiful hotel, where we partner with OSF. We listened to guests at the hotel and heard they didn’t want live music; they wanted local food and wine before the play,” leading to the reshaping of its Larks Restaurant. The team carried forward the theme of health and wellness with the Waterstone Spa, says Becky Newman, “so we can de-stress our guests.” “It’s kind of like going to Europe,” says Anway. “We’ve had great success promoting it as the Southern Oregon gateway.” The “Roaring Twenties Ball” features champagne, a four-course meal including hors d’oeuvres and a main dish of beef brisket, duck, or wild mushroom polenta. It’s $75 a person and includes live music and dancing. For details, go to www.ashlandspringshotel.com. According to articles in the 1925 Daily Tidings, the hotel was scheduled for completion about July 1, but was late, finally being delivered on Sept. 11, with a grand opening dinner and ball on Sept. 28. “A special dinner will be served at the hotel,” said the article. “A program will be given, at which several of the ablest speakers in the state will speak, (then) dancing will be enjoyed.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].   By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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