Hot Springs locals remember Majestic Hotel on 10th anniversary of fire
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of when a staple of downtown Hot Springs caught fire, forever changing the landscape of the city.
The Majestic Hotel hosted people like Al Capone’s rival, Bugs Moran, and Babe Ruth along with several other famous people. On Tuesday, people are remembering the building and the history that took place there.
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The first building was built in the early 1900s. Since then, two other buildings have been added to the area. In 2006, the famous hotel hit hard times, causing it to close down and leaving an empty building.
Then in 2014, the empty building caught fire, reducing all those memories to ash.
Michael Schwarz did a documentary about the Majestic Hotel and was there when it went up in flames.
“I was like’ Ah the Majestic,’ just like everybody else in Hot Springs,” Schwarz said.
A place once filled with life and laughter is now an empty field, waiting for someone to create the next piece of history.
“It was like a time capsule that was just left behind,” Schwarz said.
The yellow brick building of the majestic hotel caught fire on Feb. 27, 2014. Executive Director of the Garland County Historical Society Liz Robbins said the hotel was a Hot Springs icon.
“It was really a big complex of buildings that thousands and thousands of visitors came to, and locals had big connections with it too,” Robbins said.
Hot Springs Fire Chief, Ed Davis, says they believe the fire started on the roof. The 48-hour blaze causing the city to conserve water.
“Longest campaign fire I’ve been involved in, even longer than some of the wildfires we’ve fought around here,” Davis said.
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Robbins said the tragedy sparked something within people to look around and see what else is in danger.
“I think a lot of people didn’t realize until then what some of these historic structures mean to them,” Robbins said.
Over the past 10 years, the empty section between Park and Whittington Avenue off Central Avenue has changed. In 2016, the other sections of the Majestic were torn down and there was great debate over what to do with the space.
Schwarz was a part of a group to try and save the other sections of the Majestic, but his work there led to other buildings standing tall and getting the help they needed, hoping they could forever be majestic too.
“Just because a building is abandoned doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story,” Schwarz said.
The cause of the fire to this day is still unknown.
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Everyone KARK 4 News spoke with is hoping for a future that will welcome people, just like the Majestic once did.
The property is up for sale. Those interested in purchasing can call 501-321-1700.
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