Alamance Hotel
Why it's listed
Rising seven stories at Maple Avenue and South Main Street, this brick hotel is one of two structures dominating Burlington's skyline. Charles C. Hartmann, a Greensboro architect trained in the Beaux Arts tradition, designed it in 1923-24. Its facades follow a three-part base, shaft and capital pattern, with reddish-brown brick, terra cotta bands and a coved terra cotta cornice on the top floor. Local business leaders organized the project through the Chamber of Commerce, and a stock campaign in July 1923 drew 730 investors. The hotel hosted dances, proms, political meetings and the 1949 county centennial opening. A 1945 renovation shrank the lobby and added street-level shops, altering the lower floors, though the upper exterior remains largely intact. The hotel closed in 1974. Its listing rests on its link to the prosperity of the 1920s and on Hartmann's work. At the time of listing it was being converted to housing for the elderly.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel was the last in a series of downtown hotels and a visible symbol of the growth and prosperity of the 1920s, backed by a local stock-selling campaign led by business leaders. It is also the work of Charles C. Hartmann, a Greensboro architect trained in the Beaux Arts tradition.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84001906, listed May 31, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Maple Ave. and S. Main St., Burlington |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | May 31, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001906 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Charles C. Hartmann (architect); J.E. Beamon Construction Company of Raleigh (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical "base-shaft-capital" organization with Beaux Arts styling |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed as a hotel on June 30, 1974; at the time of the form it was being rehabilitated as subsidized housing for the elderly. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.09323, -79.43966 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84001906.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17510442
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.