100 years ago in 1922

The Vindicator celebrated the opening of the Hotel Youngstown with a three-page advertising spread of stories, images and well wishes from nearby businesses.

Henry Dietz, owner of the Imperial Hotel, which adjoined the new building, invested more than $300,000 in the project. Its location was at West Boardman and West Front streets, near Spring Commons at the west end of downtown.

The building was eight stories tall and featured the latest in commercial design and safety. The rooms were wonderfully appointed and Dietz hoped to renovate the existing Imperial building to meet the new design.

When guests entered, they experienced a thoughtful and open interior. The design was cozy and simple, feeling more like a home than an ornate hotel.

The main desk was front and center, with the hotel offices located just beyond, separated by plate-glass windows. Guests could glimpse into the inner workings of the hotel business like never before.

Rich tan walls and gray wood welcomed guests into the dining room large enough for 100 guests. An orchestra balcony offered space for live music, as the dining room doubled as a ballroom for social events. A large bronze chandelier, similar to the one in the lobby, offered soft lighting. The refined but casual feeling continued on the mezzanine where wicker furniture surrounded a piano.

A relatively new hotel trend was the addition of large suites along with traditional rooms. The suite at the Hotel Youngstown was comprised of three adjoining rooms with folding walls which allowed for a number of designs and uses. Guests could use the space as individual bedrooms, sitting rooms, private offices or even temporary retail spaces for traveling salesmen.

The traditional guest rooms all featured the same simple elegance of the public spaces.

Several amenities were available to the general public and hotel guests, including a quick service lunch counter. The Vindicator reported, “A hotel without a quick lunch restaurant is almost as incomplete as one without an elevator, but the Youngstown offers advantages unexcelled by any to the business man who wants a hasty bite or the traveler who only has 10 minutes until train time.”

The variety served was unparalleled: “One can perch at the center counter for his coffee and rolls or sit at the tables arranged along the side while a juicy steak or a combination sandwich is being prepared at the range.”

Diners also had a view into the kitchen were rows of pots and pans lined the walls.

A number of area contractors and businesses involved in the construction and outfitting of the hotel were mentioned in the opening announcement and placed advertisements. The color scheme and wall decorations were furnished by the Hall Painting Company on Market Street, and the steel stairs and fire escapes by the Youngstown Wire and Iron Company on Sycamore Street. Even Arthur Evans, who “drilled the well that supplies the water for the Hotel Youngstown,” had a congratulatory message for the new downtown landmark.

• Compiled from the archives of The Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.