Colonial Hotel
Also known as: Inn at Wise Courthouse; DHR File No. 329-02
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 beside the Wise County Courthouse, this brick hotel at Main and Spring Streets was a response to the loss of the earlier Dotson Hotel to fire in 1909. A group of local businessmen formed the Wise Hotel Corporation and hired builder D. J. Phipps to construct a 22-room building for $17,000. The Colonial Revival design features a diagonal entrance under a pedimented Ionic portico, a modillion cornice, and a lobby with oak trim. In later decades the hotel was renamed The Inn at Wise Courthouse, expanded to include an adjacent commercial building, and praised by critic Duncan Hines. It hosted dances, receptions, civic meetings, and lawyers attending court. The idea for Clinch Valley College was conceived there in 1954. The hotel is valued for its commercial role in a small county seat and as the county's best example of Colonial Revival architecture.
Significance in brief: The hotel is significant under Criterion A in commerce as a product of local businessmen's ambitions for economic growth and of early twentieth-century small-town civic promotion. Under Criterion C it is described as the best example of the Colonial Revival style in the county and the most significant architectural expression of Wise's commercial goals. It also served as a community center and an unofficial annex to the courthouse.
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 91000019, listed February 5, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Main and Spring Sts., Wise |
|---|---|
| County | Wise County |
| Listed | February 5, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000019 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Phipps, D. J. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as work in progress; parts of the building have fire damage, and the attic and second-floor apartments have been partly rebuilt or are fire-damaged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.97759, -82.58064 (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 91000019.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5148333
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.