Albert Pike Hotel

Albert Pike Hotel was constructed in 1929 for $1,000,000. Designed by architects Eugene Stern and George Mann (Mann designed the Arkansas State Capitol Building) in the Spanish Revival style, the hotel contained 175 guest rooms and was one of the most prominent hotels in Arkansas for decades. The Spanish Revival styling is expressed on the exterior with tiled roofs, decorative tile and iron work, and stained glass windows in large arched openings; and on the interior by extensive decorative tilework, decorative iron, ornamental light fixtures, and painted stencils. A mezzanine overlooks the impressive two-story lobby, which features a coffered ceiling. Built and operated by the Farrell Hotel Co., the building was sold to the Second Baptist Church of Little Rock in 1971, which renovated the building into affordable housing.  The building was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. A few subsequent owners have continued to operate the building as a 130-unit apartment building.

When they acquired the building in 2012, LEIDC Realty (now Envolve Communities) engaged Rosin Preservation to consult on the proposed $5.5 rehabilitation and to facility the historic tax credit application process. The $7.7M project used a light touch to upgrade apartment and corridor finishes, improve accessibility, and upgrade ADA. The original configuration and finishes of the highly distinctive rooms on the 1^st floor and the mezzanine were restored only where necessary. An iconic historic neon blade sign that hung on the northwest corner of the building was restored and is now beacon to the surrounding area.

Albert Pike continues to provide affordable housing to downtown Little Rock residents while illustrating the opulent style and era of a hotel constructed in the last gasp of the roaring 20s just before the onset of the Great Depression.