Southside Planning District Commission Deputy Director Gail Moody confirmed Monday that the town of La Crosse had been awarded a $275,000 TEA-21 grant for Phase I and Phase II construction the historic La Crosse Hotel.

“We have a pretty large project at the La Crosse Hotel,” she said. “We will be seeking additional funding from various sources to try and complete the project, but we are hoping the funds we have will allow us to get a significant portion of the project completed.”

La Crosse Mayor Will Woodall said the grant funding was a major boost to the project.
“It will greatly help us with the renovation of the hotel,” he said. “We will be able to stabilize the outside, the foundation and the roof. We will also be able to complete the Rails to Trails office, the fire alarm system, and all the windows and doors. We will also fix all of thee walls inside and re-plaster anywhere it needs to be replaced.

“The Rails to Trails will have bathrooms and facilities for people using the trails,” he added, noting that the building would be open to the public once Phase I is completed.
He said bids were expected to be returned by July 15 and construction is expected to begin by the end of the summer.

“Hopefully the bids will come in low and we can get as much done as we can,” said Woodall, noting that he hoped to have additional funding in place by the time Phase I is completed so the workers can just continue on to complete Phase II.
The Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and just a few months before the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), recognized the rich heritage reflected in the hotels important history as well as its architecture.

The inductions have made grants obtainable that will benefit the restoration efforts currently underway. The Southside Planning District Commission has worked with the town of La Crosse to move the project forward and restore the hotel to its original beauty. The hotel has received a total of $525,000 in grants toward the restoration of the hotel.
The Town of La Crosse purchased the hotel in 2003. The town plans to use the former hotel as a community center, museum, and welcome center for La Crosse. The town also envisions the building as providing office space for the town or local businesses.
Woodall said the upstairs would be a museum with rooms decorated to depict what the Hotel looked like during its active years. He said an elevator would be installed to meet federal requirements.
Don Swofford & Associates, Architects (DASA) of Charlottesville assessed what the repair needs of the Hotel would for the town. They found that the roof of the hotel is made of a steel coated single lock fabrication that dates back to 1918. The roof will need to be replaced entirely with a similar style and material. The original color was “lead red” and the new roof is slated to match that color. The firm found that the roof structure to be over solid sheeting and straight. The repair to it will need to be the perimeter sheathing, crown mold and fascia, should be replaced.
The walls were built of brick with a metal roof over the two floors of the hotel. The framing was conventional and of superior material and constructional according to the study. The “L” shaped building had twenty-one rooms for lodging, a spacious lobby, dining room and kitchen.
The two porches of the hotel were found by DASA to be in reasonably sound condition. They noted the porches could be repaired or replaced to renew their appearance and function. It was found to have survived through consistent and sensitive maintenance.
The exterior walls of the hotel are made of solid brick, three widths thick in an American pattern. The brick appears to have been manufactured in the early twentieth century.
Water and termite damage seems to have escaped the building for the most part. The building was found to have little if any damage due to termite attacks.
There are no signs of sagging floors, in the basement, nor signs of cracked headers or beams, no rotting supports or indications of weakening floors. The pipes for heating the hotel were also found to be in sound and solid condition.
DASA said the interior of the hotel was in superb condition and that it was clear that the initial construction was built to last. The floors of the lobby are wood and a large brick chimney is prominent fixture.
The bottom floor has several rooms located to the left of the lobby. There is a stair hall that leads to the upper floors rooms and the apartment for the manager/owner.
There is no insulation in the sidewalls, crawl spaces, or attic joists. DASA recommends this be done to meet today’s standards. Storm windows can be installed to the interior for further insulation.
The plumbing appears to be in good sound condition. The existing fixtures are not up to today’s standards but should remain in order to contribute to the historical character of the building said the report.
The parking lot and building must meet provisions for handicap persons. This includes barrier free access to the first floor and bathrooms, which comply with standards.

Reprinted with permission from the South Hill Enterprise