{"nrhp_refnum":"95000411","name":"Ranchotel","other_names":["Morning Star Hostel","Mark Schupp Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2501 W. Sixth Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Amarillo","county":"Potter County","state":"TX","lat":35.21118616900003,"lon":-101.86518537999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-04-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 16-unit, U-shaped tourist court with a separate office/residence building, located at 2501 West Sixth along the historic alignment of U.S. Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas. It was built in 1940 by the Randall Construction Company.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the Ranchotel is significant under Criterion A in the area of Transportation, at the local level. It is one of the few surviving pre-war tourist courts that once lined Route 66 in Amarillo. It represents a roadside travel experience that has virtually disappeared and is tied to early 20th-century automobile culture.","narrative":"Occupying a quarter block on the old alignment of U.S. Route 66 in Amarillo, this tourist court was built in 1940 by the Randall Construction Company for Chester and Betty Bordwell at a cost of $20,000. Sixteen units wrap around a central office and residence in a U-shaped plan, linked by alternating garage spaces. Stucco walls, squat chimneys, exposed rafter ends, rustic posts and wagon wheel balustrades evoke the Southwest's adobe and ranching imagery. Amarillo was the only major city on Texas's stretch of Route 66, and dozens of tourist courts served travelers there. Most have since been demolished, altered or left derelict, especially after Route 66 was rerouted and Interstate 40 was built. The Ranchotel is among the few pre-war survivors. Its garages and office porch have been enclosed for later use as a hostel and hospice, yet the roof profiles and stucco surfaces remain. It was listed for its association with Route 66 transportation history.","period_of_significance":"1940-45","architect_builder":"Randall Construction Company (builder)","architectural_style":"Other: U-plan tourist court","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Currently serves as a hostel for the homeless and hospice for HIV/AIDS patients; described as remaining in good repair.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.199255-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/9732/40973216/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/95000411.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973216","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranchotel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107320636"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/potter-county/ranchotel-95000411/"}