Image courtesy of Evan Finch
Business: The Marott Hotel
Year of this Advertisement: Based on the fashions, circa 1960?
Location: 2625 North Meridian Street
Neighborhood: Mapleton-Fall Creek
What they did: Hotel/ Apartments
Years of operation: November 25, 1926 – 1981, as hotel + apartments; 1983 – present, as apartments only
Notable: Among those who reportedly once slept here: Clark Gable, Winston Churchill, Jane Mansfield, President John F. Kennedy
Additionally: George J. Marott also owned Marott Shoes and the Marott Department Store. If you visited the Marott in years past, what do you recall about it?
Marott Park was named for George J. Marott. Read more about it in the recent HI article In the Park: Marott Park.
See a view from the Marott Hotel of the early 1900’s in Vintage Room with a View: The Marott.
My dentist had an office in the building. Dr. Weisfeld (sp?). I was a boy at the time. In the early 1970’s.
It was always a treat to go to a luncheon at the Marott, several of the organizations to which my mother, the late Henrietta R. Hart, belonged had meetings there. I recall particularly the Oxford Women’s College Alumnae who had annual luncheons there (and I went to those too as I grew older, tho of course I never went to Oxford), and the Indianapolis chapter of the Chi Omega Alumnae. Those were always elegant occasions.
My first visit to the Marott was a Saturday afternoon birthday luncheon in middle school–circa 1964. I believe the name of the restaurant where we ate was called The Patio Room (or something similar). I was introduced to a pastry cart for the first time, and for someone who loves sweets as much as I do, it was a wonderful but challenging experience. So many beautiful and tempting choices and I could only pick one!
After the luncheon, I went home and promptly fell asleep–an unusual thing for me to do on a Saturday afternoon. I woke up at dinner-time with spots all over me. Chicken pox!!
All-in-all a very memorable day!!
I grew up a block from here and my mother worked here for most of my formative years. She was a waitress in the dining room there and later ran the cigar stand. I spent much time there from the ages of about 9 to 12 and friends and I would go to the roof and throw things off and watch what they did. Can’t believe we never got caught. Do remember watching Jethro, or Max Baer may be his name, from the Beverly Hillbillies, eat in an area just for him and being amazed he could consume that much food. I recently bought a plate at a garage sale that has their logo on the back and it is hanging on my kitchen wall. Until AUL took over the building where Ivy Tech is now, mom worked at the Marott and I spent part of almost every day in that building. Felt like home away from home.
My great aunt, Katherine (Mueller) Crush, had a beautiful apartment there in the 50s.
I was there in 1966, when I graduated from mortuary college. Our graduation pictures were taken there.
During the Primary election of 1968, Senator Ted Kennedy stayed at the Marott. In fact, I and a few other pols were with him in his suite watching TV, when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek nor accept the Democratic Party nomination for President. Almost 20 years later (1987), at a fundraiser for Senator Kennedy at the Marott, I had the honor of introducing him.