Tremont House (1829â€" c.1895), sometimes called the Tremont Hotel, was a hotel designed in 1829 by Isaiah Rogers in Boston, Massachusetts. Notable guests included Davy Crockett and Charles Dickens.
The Tremont House was a four-story, granite-faced, neoclassical building, located at the corner of Tremont and Beacon Streets, with its main entrance on Tremont. It incorporated many hotel "firsts":
- Indoor plumbing
- Indoor toilets and baths
- Reception area
- Locked rooms for the guest
- Free soap
- Bellboys
Despite this long list of innovations, it is probably best known as the first hotel with indoor plumbing and running water. The hotel's water was raised by steam-powered pump to a storage tank on its roof, where it fed by gravity to the taps. Eight water closets (toilets) were provided on the ground floor. Bathrooms for bathing were located in the basement, and served by cold running water. Bathtubs were copper or tin, with local gas heating for the tub's water. Running water was also provided to the kitchen and laundry. A simple system removed the waste water to the sewage system.
During the 19th century it was socially unacceptable for women to dine alone in the public rooms of hotels. The hotel was among the first urban establishments to open a women-only dining room, referred to as a 'Ladies' ordinary'.
The Tremont House set the standard for luxury accommodations and was the model for many hotels built in major cities at this time. One of the most notable, also designed by Isaiah Rogers, was the Astor House (1836) in New York City.
References
The Tremont House in Galveston - The Tremont House is located in the heart of Galveston Island's historic downtown district. Galveston is just 45 minutes south of Houston and is a popular Texas destination, boasting 32 miles...
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Further reading
- Benjamin F. Stevens. Tremont House: the exit of an old landmark. The Bostonian, v.1, no.4 1895.
- Henry Lee. Boston's greatest hotel. Old-Time New England. Spring 1965.
- 1857 menu from the Tremont House - University of Houston Digital Library