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| Former Manse Hotel, left and the headquarters of The Cincinnati Federation of Colored Women's Clubs |
Happy Monday! Today's high is pushing 80 degrees, not typical for November, but I'm not complaining.
A week ago yesterday, I went on the Black Baseball in Walnut Hills Walking Tour, and the former Manse Hotel was one of the stops. Today, I just feel like digging deeper and share the story of this landmark.
The Manse Hotel, not to be confused with the Old Manse Hotel in Britain, is listed in The Negro Travelers's Green Book and was perhaps the most prominent African American owned, operated, and designed hotel in Cincinnati.
The former hotel was designed by Horace Sudduth, a notable African American real estate giant in the early 20th century. Born in Covington, Kentucky, he served as president the Walnut Hills Enterprise Company, president of the Industrial Loan and Savings Company, president and organizer of the Creative Realty Company, and owner of the Sudduth Real Estate Agency.
In 1937, when Sudduth acquired it, it was an 11 family residence, and over the years, he converted it little by little until it became a 108-room hotel, and he invested $500,000 of his own money to finance the hotel.
The Manse Hotel formally opened in April 1950, and about 6,000 guest toured the hotel freely. Per the June 2, 1969 issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the hotel employed about 30 workers, had an annual payroll of $85,000, and grossed $200,000 annually in its peak years. Sudduth would only charge $3.00 per guest while the White hotels in downtown Cincinnati charged $6-$7 per guest. What's more, he never got a liquor license as he did not want liquor served in the hotel; the liquor alone would have more than tripled the income from all other sources.
In later years, with integration, Black customers left the Manse as the wanted better service, and the Manse was unable to draw white guests.
Sudduth's death in 1957 saw the decline of the Manse. His son-in-law Alexander saw that renovation was not necessarily within his power, and when the Manse was audited, it had a liability of $100,000.
Guest were now few and far in between, and the 108 rooms now were used for one night stays.
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The Cincinnati Enquirer, April 16, 1950
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Of course, behind every proud man stands a proud woman. Mrs. Melvina Sudduth was not directly involved in her husband's business ventures, but she made things strong on the homefront by making sure that their house ran smoothly. She and Horace had been childhood sweethearts and the couple was married from 1919 until her death in 1956. She had also been involved in many causes of her own, including as treasurer of the Cincinnati Federation of Colored Women's Clubs and community organizations in their native Covington, Kentucky.
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| The Pittsburgh Courier, March 12, 1955 |
The Manse Hotel was known to host baseball royalty such as Jackie Robinson.
As of this posting, the Manse has been awarded $1.2 million in tax credits and plan to convert the building into a 60-unit apartment complex for seniors and families.
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