Jones Hotel

35.98989, -78.898543

502
Ramsey Street
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Mt. Vernon Street
Year built
pre-1907
Year demolished
late 1960s
Neighborhood
Hayti
Use
Hotel
Building Type
Commercial
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502 Ramsey St.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection / Scanned by Digital Durham)

The Jones Hotel, one of the two early hotels of Hayti (the other being the Warren Hotel on Proctor St.) was established sometime prior to 1907, and was run by Ms. Josie L. Jones.

There is no history that I can find with regard to the hotel. By the 1940s, it appears to have been out of business, and its signature double front porch gone.


Above, an aerial picture (mid-1940s) showing several locations I'm posting on this week.

Yellow - Original Lincoln Hospital
Red - Site of original Whitted School / Park
Orange - Berry Company
Green - Jones Hotel
Blue - Original Mt. Vernon Baptist Church

(Original photo courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)

By 1965, when it was being sized up by the Redevelopment Commission for demolition and eminent domain via urban renewal, it was barely recognizable.


502 Ramsey St., 1965.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)

This land sat abandoned for many years after being plowed under in the late 1960s. In 1993, it was redeveloped as Rick Hendrick Chevrolet. The site of the Jones Hotel is now part of their parking lot.


Site of the Jones Hotel, 11.15.08

Find this spot on a Google Map.

35.989894 -78.898613

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Comments

Submitted by Andrew Edmonds (not verified) on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 1:33pm

While conducting research on bygone hotels and movie theaters for this year's Preservation Durham Ghost [Building] Tour, I found in the 1907 Hill City Directory that the Jones Hotel was operated by proprietor Mrs. Rodelia Jones.

The directory entry also lists the address as 502 Ramsey Street and a phone number (585 A)! Having a phone must have been no small feat for a Hayti hotelier.

Anyway, perhaps there are ED readers who are kin to this woman and can add more here. Rodelia is certainly a recognizable (and unusual) name.

The 1907 Hill directory of Durham City can be accessed for free, here.

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 3:13pm

thanks Andy. funny that it isn't listed as a business in the 1911 directory, which, working backwards, is why I concluded the date I did. perhaps there was a shut down and proprietorship change. Rodemia is an even more unusual name than Rodelia, so I hope that someone's google search for a relative will bear some fruit.

GK

Submitted by Ctrotta72@gmail.com on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 1:24pm

In doing work for the upcoming Geer Cemetery exhihbit, In Plain Sight, I discovered Mrs. Jones death certificate.  She is listed as Rodemer Jones, widowed and a hotel keeper.  She died in March, 1918.  According to the 1910 census, she is also listed as Rodemer Jones, head of household, 47, and works on her own account.  Her daughter, Josie, 29 at the time, was not listed as having an occupation.  They had 9 male boarders at the time.

 

 

Submitted by Ctrotta72@gmail.com on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 1:47pm

The earliest City Directory I can find for her is in 1887 where she is listed as a washer and ironer, r outside e, Hayti

 

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