Document text
0 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 Ashland Calendar, July 7, 2015 ... Council Corner: It’s the solstice; thoughts on freedom ... Smithsonian exhibit includes video about Rogue innovators ... Ashland Calendar, July 7, 2015 ... Council Corner: It’s the solstice; thoughts on freedom ... Smithsonian exhibit includes video about Rogue innovators ... OUR VIEW Our View: All's well that ends well Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Ashland Springs Hotel celebrated its 90th birthday on Wednesday, but the venerable downtown landmark nearly succumbed to mismanagement and neglect when it was 73, surviving that long only through a succession of miracles and near-death experiences. Opened to great fanfare in 1925 as the Lithia Springs Hotel, the nine-story structure was renamed the Mark Antony in 1960 to capitalize on the success of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It was supposed to offer travelers an elegant stopover between Portland and San Francisco, but it never lived up to its promise, largely because passenger rail service shifted to Klamath Falls. The hotel slowly declined until the 1970s, when it was reduced to two floors of cheap rooms and apartments and what a Mail Tribune story described as "a less than first-class bar." A massive renovation starting in 1977 removed false ceilings and restored some of the hotel's lost elegance, but that owner went bankrupt in 1982. The hotel went through continued financial troubles after that, and was on the market for a several years before new owners bought it in 1996. That deal was never completed, however, and the doors finally closed in November 1997 after the city cut off power for nonpayment. Present owners Doug and Becky Neuman, who bought the hotel in 1998, spent two years and $12 million to transform the Mark Antony, renamed the Ashland Springs, into the Victorian showpiece it has become, and prevented what could have been a tremendous loss if the hotel had been torn down.     DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 3, 2015 at 12:01 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501