Lorraine Motel

The Lorraine Motel was constructed in 1925 in Memphis, Tennessee. It originally consisted of sixteen rooms, all on one level. From 1925 to 1945 it was known as the Windsorlorrine Hotel and later the Marquette Hotel. In 1945 Walter Bailey purchased the hotel and renamed it "Lorraine" after his wife "Loree" and the song "Sweet Lorraine." During the years of segregation and later the Civil Rights movement, Bailey ran his hotel as an upscale lodging option for African-Americans. He later renovated the building, adding a second floor and swimming pool. During the 1960s notable guests included Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. The Lorraine Motel is most famous for being the place where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. On April 4, 1968 King was shot while standing on the balcony outside his room. The shot was fired by James Earl Ray from a boarding house across the street. Following the assassination, Bailey took rooms 306 and 307 out of public use as a memorial to King. Bailey later converted the hotel into a facility for housing low income citizens. In 1991 the hotel was converted into a museum and in 2014 it became an entity of the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee State Museum as part as a larger complex known as the National Civil Right Museum. In 2016 it became affiliated with the Smithsonian. The Lorraine Motel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as part of the South Main Historic District nomination. The Lorraine Motel is another wonderful example of historic preservation done right. At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.

Be sure to come back next Thursday for another Throwback Thursday presented by Moore Historical Consulting.