Area less than one acre Architect Stevens,H.L.,Co. NRHP Reference # 82004306 | Built 1889 Architectural style Mission Revival | |
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Location 1224 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, Washington | ||
The Leopold in Bellingham, Washington was built in 1889 and originally named the Byron Hotel after its owner Captain H.C. Byron. Byron owned the hotel until 1910 when Leopold F. Schmidt (founder of the Olympia Brewing Company and owner of the Bellingham Bay Brewery) purchased the Byron for $100,000. One famous fact about the hotel was the home (off and on) of famous Alaskan artist Sydney Laurence; however given his economic situation, he was unable to pay his bill in cash so instead traded Schmidt paintings for his room. To this day, the Schmidt family has one of the largest private collections of his work. The hotel also holds the distinction of being the place of Leopold's death on September 24, 1914.
The hotels name was soon changed to The Hotel Leopold as a token of appreciation by the hotels investors. When Schmidt originally purchased the hotel, it only held 93 rooms.
In the 1980s, The Leopold became a retirement living community and underwent a significant renovation. The Leopold is currently home to approximately 100 retirement-age residents.
The Leopold was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 19, 1982