Lord Nelson Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Lord Nelson Hotel is a grand hotel
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
. It is located on the corner of Spring Garden
and South Park Streets across from the Halifax Public Gardens
. It was built in 1927 by a consortium of investors led by the Canadian Pacific Railway
who wanted a Halifax anchor to the chain of hotels operated by its Nova Scotian subsidiary, the Dominion Atlantic Railway
. Along with the rival Canadian National Railway
's Hotel Nova Scotian
which began the same year, the Lord Nelson was Halifax's first modern hotel. The hotel was named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, who ironically never came to Halifax in his famous naval career, but whose name stood for naval traditions strongly associated with the heritage of Halifax.
The task of supervising the construction was assumed by O.C. Gross, architect, with construction carried out by H.L. Stevens & Co. of New York and Toronto, for Canadian Pacific Railways, which had already constructed hotels in Nova Scotia. The company had building experience in frosty winter weather; at night they heated the building area just completed with small stoves which kept the frost from getting into the finished walls. The building has a reinforced concrete foundation, topped with a course of granite to support the brick walls.
The hotel closest in style to the Lord Nelson Hotel at the time of construction was the Van Curler Hotel at Schenectady, New York, which was built for the General Electric Company. The walls of the Lord Nelson are of bluenose brick with ornate frame and Nova Scotia trip, with the concrete framework being covered in by brick. The aim of the construction was to use local materials and to award contracts locally. As much as possible materials available in Nova Scotia were used, although some had to be imported.
The main entrance to the hotel is on South Park Street, and originally featured a semi-circular driveway with trees and shrubs. The Georgian style has been incorporated in the construction of the hotel, featuring special decorations pertaining to Lord Nelson. From the lobby you can see a large mural of Nelson addressing his men on the deck of his flagship HMS Victory
, just before the Battle of Trafalgar
. This painting was done by Sister Agnes Beachmans, a native of New Brunswick. Her family moved to Eelbrook, Nova Scotia and young Julia Landry entered the Sisters of Charity, where she was professed as Sister Agnes Beachmans at the turn of the century. There are two of her paintings in the hotel, the large mural, and smaller one located in the Georgian Lounge. The gold leaf lobby ceiling is copied from the ceiling in the House of Commons in Ottawa, and was hand-finished by an Italian craftsman. There are floral and other motifs on the inverted sections, with the C.P. Railways logo among them. The lobby is 80 feet by 40 feet, and the Georgian Lounge is 60 feet by 28 feet. The original ballroom, which is called the Regency is 88 feet by 38 feet and still has the original hardwood floor and crystal chandeliers.
The original section of the hotel had seven stories with 200 rooms. There have since been two additions, and the hotel now features 260 rooms. The 8th and 9th floors were added in 1966, and the North Tower section was added in 1975. The hotel helped make Spring Garden Road into a major shopping district. Spring Garden Road shops at the time of construction simply consisted of a beauty shop, a barber shop, and a large grill; a drug store now occupies the space that was once the grill.
The Lord Nelson Hotel opened for business on October 23, 1928. The hotel has changed hands over the years and is now privately owned.
The Lord Nelson Hotel is named after England’s greatest naval hero: Horatio Nelson. A young student, Oswald Schenk, won a contest for suggesting the name of the hotel. The Lord Nelson inspired the fictional hotel featured in the award winning 1998 novel The Museum Guard by Howard Norman
. Famous guests who have stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel include the Rolling Stones
, Anne Murray
, Keith Urban
, the White Stripes
, Jerry Seinfeld
, Ozzy Osbourne
, and Paul McCartney
.
Canada's grand railway hotels
Canada’s railway hotels are a series of grand hotels across the country, each a local and national landmark, and most of which are icons of Canadian history and architecture. Each hotel was originally built by the Canadian railway companies, or the railways acted as a catalyst for the hotel’s...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on the corner of Spring Garden
Spring Garden, Halifax
Spring Garden, along with Barrington Street and Quinpool Road, is a major commercial and cultural district in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It comprises Spring Garden Road, South Park Street, and a number of smaller side streets...
and South Park Streets across from the Halifax Public Gardens
Halifax Public Gardens
The Halifax Public Gardens are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation. The gardens are located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia on the Halifax Peninsula near the popular shopping district of Spring Garden Road...
. It was built in 1927 by a consortium of investors led by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
who wanted a Halifax anchor to the chain of hotels operated by its Nova Scotian subsidiary, the Dominion Atlantic Railway
Dominion Atlantic Railway
The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley....
. Along with the rival Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's Hotel Nova Scotian
Hotel Nova Scotian
The Westin Nova Scotian is a Canadian hotel located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It was built by the Canadian National Railways. Construction began in 1928 and it opened on 24 June 1930 as the "Nova Scotian Hotel"...
which began the same year, the Lord Nelson was Halifax's first modern hotel. The hotel was named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, who ironically never came to Halifax in his famous naval career, but whose name stood for naval traditions strongly associated with the heritage of Halifax.
History
On Friday, October 21, 1927, construction on the Lord Nelson Hotel began at the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street on the old Dwyer property. The turning of the first sod was done by Mayor Kenny of Halifax, supported by a group of friends and well-wishers.The task of supervising the construction was assumed by O.C. Gross, architect, with construction carried out by H.L. Stevens & Co. of New York and Toronto, for Canadian Pacific Railways, which had already constructed hotels in Nova Scotia. The company had building experience in frosty winter weather; at night they heated the building area just completed with small stoves which kept the frost from getting into the finished walls. The building has a reinforced concrete foundation, topped with a course of granite to support the brick walls.
The hotel closest in style to the Lord Nelson Hotel at the time of construction was the Van Curler Hotel at Schenectady, New York, which was built for the General Electric Company. The walls of the Lord Nelson are of bluenose brick with ornate frame and Nova Scotia trip, with the concrete framework being covered in by brick. The aim of the construction was to use local materials and to award contracts locally. As much as possible materials available in Nova Scotia were used, although some had to be imported.
The main entrance to the hotel is on South Park Street, and originally featured a semi-circular driveway with trees and shrubs. The Georgian style has been incorporated in the construction of the hotel, featuring special decorations pertaining to Lord Nelson. From the lobby you can see a large mural of Nelson addressing his men on the deck of his flagship HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
, just before the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. This painting was done by Sister Agnes Beachmans, a native of New Brunswick. Her family moved to Eelbrook, Nova Scotia and young Julia Landry entered the Sisters of Charity, where she was professed as Sister Agnes Beachmans at the turn of the century. There are two of her paintings in the hotel, the large mural, and smaller one located in the Georgian Lounge. The gold leaf lobby ceiling is copied from the ceiling in the House of Commons in Ottawa, and was hand-finished by an Italian craftsman. There are floral and other motifs on the inverted sections, with the C.P. Railways logo among them. The lobby is 80 feet by 40 feet, and the Georgian Lounge is 60 feet by 28 feet. The original ballroom, which is called the Regency is 88 feet by 38 feet and still has the original hardwood floor and crystal chandeliers.
The original section of the hotel had seven stories with 200 rooms. There have since been two additions, and the hotel now features 260 rooms. The 8th and 9th floors were added in 1966, and the North Tower section was added in 1975. The hotel helped make Spring Garden Road into a major shopping district. Spring Garden Road shops at the time of construction simply consisted of a beauty shop, a barber shop, and a large grill; a drug store now occupies the space that was once the grill.
The Lord Nelson Hotel opened for business on October 23, 1928. The hotel has changed hands over the years and is now privately owned.
The Lord Nelson Hotel is named after England’s greatest naval hero: Horatio Nelson. A young student, Oswald Schenk, won a contest for suggesting the name of the hotel. The Lord Nelson inspired the fictional hotel featured in the award winning 1998 novel The Museum Guard by Howard Norman
Howard Norman
Howard A. Norman , is an American award-winning writer and educator. Most of his short stories and novels are set in Canada's Maritime Provinces. He has written several translations of Algonquin, Cree, Eskimo, and Inuit folklore. His books have been translated into 12 languages.-Early...
. Famous guests who have stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel include the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, the White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.