Kremlin Hotel, Cortland, N.Y.

 

 

  
   Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland in 1899 describes the Kremlin Hotel on Court Street:

   The Kremlin was opened as a first-class hotel by Wickwire Brothers, who had recently purchased the property, about three years ago, and was placed under the management of Lyman Carns. On May 1, 1899, the property was sold to Mr. Albert Allen, who at once took possession and now conducts the hotel on a strictly high class order.
   It is three stories high, and has thirty rooms at the disposal of guests. The furnishings are comparatively new and of the most approved class, including velvet carpets, pretty chamber suites, etc. It is located on Court Street, just a few doors from Main Street, and a few steps from the trolley line, which leads hence directly to both railroad stations, the house being the nearest to the Lackawanna station of all the hotels. Mr. Allen is the purchasing agent for the Manhattan Beach hotel, and is familiar with the best manner of conducting a hotel. He also has charge of the Sunny Side Plantation in Arkansas, belonging to the Austin Corbet estate, where he spends a part of the winters. He is an experienced executive officer in the operation of railroads and a practical railroad man. He is high in the order of Masonry, being a Shriner and a Sir Knight.
   Mr. Allen was born in New York City in October 1837, and for fifteen years was a passenger conductor on the Morris and Essex railroad. In 1877  he was made the superintendent of the Syracuse and Chenango Valley railroad, and in 1887 he moved to Elmira, being then the superintendent of the E., C. and N. railroad. In March, 1889, he moved to Cortland, where he has since resided.
   The Kremlin is a very popular house, and under Mr. Allen's management it has been his aim to improve the accommodations in every way. He was married to Jennie Kenyon of Earlville Jan. 11, 1882.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, October 15, 1896.

To Conduct the Kremlin.

   The handsome new hotel in Cortland on Court-st., named "The Kremlin" is about completed and is now being finished in elegant style. The many friends of Mr. L. D. Carns of Slaterville Springs will be pleased to learn that he has leased the hotel and will conduct it personally after the 1st of November. The Messrs. Carns offer for sale the Magnetic Springs House at Slaterville Springs. This is the all year house and has always been conducted profitably, and can be purchased at a bargain.—Ithaca Journal.

   TheSTANDARD intends to give a full and complete description of this fine hotel which its owners, Messrs. Wickwire Brothers, are fitting up in such elegant style for Mr. Carns, but has delayed at the request of the owners and managers until the arrangements are completed so that the facts may be given accurately and in full detail.

 

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, October 24, 1896.

THE KREMLIN.

The Elegantly Furnished Hotel Soon to be Opened on Court-st.

   The repairs which have been going on all summer at the old Central hotel on Court-st. are now nearly completed and the house will in a few days be opened to the public under the management of Mr. L. D. Carns of Slaterville Springs. Mr. Carns has for several years conducted two hotels at Slaterville Springs, the Magnetic Springs House and the Fountain House. He will continue these two popular hotels the same as before, but will personally have charge of The Kremlin in Cortland. Mr. Carns is one of that kind of men who are peculiarly adapted to the hotel business, as his success in the past shows.

   The Kremlin is practically a new hotel, only the outward form of the building remaining. In front a broad cement walk has been laid. The hotel is painted white. A railing has been placed along the front of the spacious new veranda, which extends the whole length of the front. Double doors open into the office, also double doors into the ladies' sitting room. The hotel has been papered throughout with entirely new paper of the latest style and designs and of different colors in the different rooms. All the woodwork has been refinished. The reading room will be the same as before, at the right of the office, and back of the reading room will be the sample room. A nice velvet carpet will be put down in the reading room. The carpeting throughout the building is of velvet and is of a variety of colors harmonizing nicely with the shades of paper.

   There are forty rooms in the hotel for guests and all are richly furnished with the most approved style of furniture. Every room is connected with the office by electric bells, and speaking tubes. The entire hotel is heated with steam. The dining room has received its share of attention and with new carpet, paper and furnishings is much pleasanter than before. The kitchen, too, is now a model of neatness and convenience.

   The entire hotel from cellar to roof is one of the most richly furnished and conveniently arranged hotels in this part of the state. Mr. Carns has not yet decided when he will open the house to the public, but it will be in a few days. When it is opened he purposes to throw open the whole house to the public some afternoon and evening for inspection.

Editor's note:
   In Cora Edgcomb Higgins' book Growing Up in Cortland, the location given for her family's house was 22 Court Street (north side) opposite the Fire Station (south side). The Franklin Hatch library was nearby, and the Kremlin Hotel was located at 26 Court Street. Miss Ormsby's private preparatory school was located at 18 Court Street. The Garrison and Hulbert houses were located on the south side of Court between the Episcopal Church and City Hall. The Hulbert house was used as city hall until 1968.
Cora "Aunt Cody" Higgins' book may be obtained at the Cortland County Historical Society.