1914-03-16

“The Waldorf is no more.”

          Hamilton Spectator. March 16, 1914

It was the end of a Hamilton building that had graced the south side of King Street, east of John, since the 1850s.

          Built as a hotel, it was first called the Anglo-American Hotel, but it was too big for the city at the time of its opening. It was then sold, and opened as a school and student residence, the Wesleyan Ladies’ College.

          However, on July 11, 1898, that the handsome building was reverted to its original purpose, and renamed. The new owner, Robert Gilkison, choose to use the name, Waldorf Hotel., for his ambitious venture.

          One of the first employees to be hired by Gilkison to work at the Waldorf Hotel was Frank Speers, whose role was night clerk.

          During the morning of March 16, 1914, the sound of the auctioneer’s call and slammed hammer concluding bids was heard in the big building. The Waldorf Hotel’s history as a business was over, and the sale of its furnishings had begun. Once that effort was over, the building would be demolished to make way for another, more up-to-date hotel to be built on the site.

          The Spectator in its afternoon edition that day noted that “while the closing of the place marked another notch in Hamilton’s progress, it was not without a pathetic touch.”¹

               ¹ “Waldorf Goods Under Hammer : Old Waldorf Had Closed Doors For Good : Frank Speers, Night Man, There for 15 Years.”

          Hamilton Spectator. March 16, 1914.

          The “pathetic touch” in the Spectator’s reporter’s mind was described as follows :

          “There is Frank Speers, the genial night, who has acted in the capacity of night clerk ever since the place was converted into a hotel 15 years ago. Frank is one of the familiar characters around the hotel, and men who frequented the tap room in the evenings will miss his ‘It’s eleven o’clock, gentlemen.’ That was Frank’s way of saying ‘everybody out,’ and while his little call did not always meet with the general approval of the men who imbibed too freely, it was a fond remembrance the morning after.”¹

               Another long-time employee at the Waldorf Hotel was Billy Guest, the chief wine clerk :

          “A tribute to Billy’s popularity and ability was paid to him when the creditors took charge of the place and engaged him to return to his old place and take charge of the bar.”¹

                Billy Guest’s ability as a wine clerk and manager of the bar at the Waldorf was so noted that the company engaged in building the Waldorf’s replacement, the Royal Connaught Hotel, committed to having him serve in the same role when the new hotel was ready for business.

          While the building known subsequently as the Anglo-American Hotel, the Wesleyan Ladies’ College and finally the Waldorf Hotel was slated to be demolished after the auctioneer’s efforts had been finished.

          However, Billy Guest would be kept at work on the site as long as possible as it was proposed to put a temporary roof over the barroom and retain the walls. The bar area would be the final thing to disappear when the plans for the Royal Connaught Hotel demanded that space for the luxury structure which was arising all around it.