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16-546: The Gunter Hotel opened on November 20, 1909, on the site of the earlier Mahncke Hotel. There had been a hotel or inn on the same site since 1837. The eight-story, 301-room hotel was built by the San Antonio Hotel Company and named for Jot Gunter, a local rancher and real estate developer who was one of its financiers. It was designed by Ernest John Russell , of the St. Louis firm Mauran, Russell & Garden . It

32-593: A record in room 414 for their Shine a Light collaboration. Ernest John Russell Ernest John Russell FAIA (1870–1956) was an English-born American architect in practice in St. Louis from 1900 until his death in 1956. From 1932 to 1935 he was president of the American Institute of Architects . Ernest John Russell was born March 5, 1870, in London to John Stokes Russell and Mary (Mayhew) Russell. In

48-453: A temporary studio in the hotel where Johnson recorded a number of songs including the blues classic " Sweet Home Chicago ". In 2009, John Mellencamp came to the Gunter to record the track "Right Behind Me" for his album No Better Than This , in the same room where Johnson had recorded in 1936. In 2016 American singer songwriter Joe Henry and British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg recorded

64-530: Is in the Chicago school architectural style , and was designed by architect Mauran, Russell & Crowell . The building was the city's tallest when it opened, and remains the second-largest building in downtown St. Louis by interior area, with almost 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m ) of space. The building was long home to the flagship store of the Famous-Barr chain of department stores — and

80-680: The Southwestern Bell Building (1926), the Globe Building (1932), the Carnahan Courthouse (1935) and the St. Louis Ordnance Plant (1942), all in St. Louis. Russell was associated with the American Institute of Architects for much of his career. He joined the St. Louis chapter in 1901, and was elevated to Fellow in 1909. He served as chapter president and on many committees. He was twice elected national vice president before being elected president at

96-479: The 1932 convention. He was reelected in 1934, no convention having been held in 1933. Russell's long-time partner, Mauran, had himself been president from 1916 to 1918. From 1909 to 1911 Russell was a member of the St. Louis Board of Delegates, now the Board of Aldermen, and in 1911 was appointed to a three-year term to the Board of Appeals. From 1917 to 1937 he was chair of the St. Louis City Plan Commission. Russell

112-529: The early 1870s the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado , where Russell was educated. In 1887 he joined the office of Frank Townsend Lent , a local architect, and worked his way up to drafter . In 1892 he moved to Chicago , where he joined the local office of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge . In 1896 he transferred to the St. Louis office, then under

128-453: The forces of Confederate Texas. The Gunter Hotel was also the site of the headquarters of Brevet Colonel Robert E. Lee who assumed command of the Post of San Antonio on August 5, 1857. On November 27, 1936, Room 414 of the Gunter was the scene of a historic recording session by blues artist Robert Johnson . Talent scout H. C. Speir had arranged the session with Brunswick Records who set up

144-556: The head of the firm. Russell led the firm, which became Mauran, Russell, Crowell & Mullgardt in 1937, Russell, Crowell, Mullgardt & Schwarz in 1948 and Russell, Mullgardt, Schwarz & Van Hoefen in 1955, until his death. Russell's major works, listed by himself at the end of his career, included the Railway Exchange Building (1913), the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis building (1925),

160-579: The headquarters of its parent company May Department Stores — until Macy's purchased the brand; the store was rebranded as Macy's in 2006. Macy's sold the building in 2008 and closed the store in 2013. In January 2017, Hudson Holdings, a National Historic Property Developer based in Delray Beach, Florida , purchased the building for $ 20 million. The city of St. Louis was granted an emergency condemnation on 4 Jan 2023, and proceeded to kick out people who appeared to be squatting and board up

176-515: The management of John Lawrence Mauran . In 1900 Mauran, Russell and a third employee, Edward Gordon Garden, bought out the firm's local business, and formed the new firm of Mauran, Russell & Garden. Garden left the partnership in 1909, but in 1911 they were joined by William DeForest Crowell to form Mauran, Russell & Crowell. The partnership was unchanged until 1930, when they were joined by William Oscar Mullgardt, an employee since 1906. Mauran died suddenly in 1933, after which Russell became

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192-557: Was a member of several prominent social organizations, including the University Club, St. Louis Club , Racquet Club, Noonday Club and the Bellerive Country Club . Russell died July 11, 1956, in St. Louis. Railway Exchange Building (St. Louis) The Railway Exchange Building is an 84.4 m (277 ft), 21-story high-rise office building in St. Louis, Missouri . The 1914 steel-frame building

208-1010: Was a member of the American Society for Testing and Materials , the American Town Planning Institute, the Civic League, the National City Planning Conference and the National Housing Conference . In 1932 he was made an honorary corresponding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects . In 1895 Russell was married to Elizabeth Dunlap, a relative of Benjamin H. Warder , an important client of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge , in Springfield, Ohio . They had two daughters. Russell

224-657: Was formed based on a meeting of twenty five United States Army Officers on June 20, 1922 at the Gunter Hotel to discuss the procurement of reliable and economical auto insurance. The Vance House hotel, now the site of the Gunter Hotel, became the administrative offices for the U.S. Army during the Mexican–American War from 1846-1847 as the Headquarters for Texas military affairs. At this site, General David E. Twiggs surrendered $ 1,600,000 in federal property to

240-691: Was renamed the Radisson Gunter Hotel in April 1986 and then the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in 1989. It was sold to the Camberley Group in 1996, becoming The Camberley Gunter . It was sold to Houston Street Hotel Partners in 1999 and became, again, the Sheraton Gunter Hotel . In June 2023, it was renamed The Gunter Hotel , though it is still managed by Marriott. The insurance company United Services Automobile Association

256-464: Was the largest building in San Antonio at the time. The Baker Hotel Company purchased the hotel in 1924 and expanded it in 1926 with the addition of three stories. The addition was designed by architect Herbert M. Greene . It was restored from 1980-1985, overseen by architect Robert V. Buck. At the same time, a two-story parking garage was added adjacent to the hotel, designed by Gustav Heye. It

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