The remains of the front retaining wall located on the vacant lot at 701 N. Oak Street are all that remain of one of the most unique hotels in the world. The Hexagon Hotel was built by David Gehugh Galbraith in 1895 and opened December 6, 1897 as a well ventilated hotel some sixty-one years before air conditioning became widely available. Although little remains except memories, the hotel deserves mention in the history of Mineral Wells because it was truly one of a kind.
Constructed of long leaf yellow pine, the exterior was covered with cypress siding, and the roof was covered with hand-split cypress shingles. The entire interior trim was "Heart of Pine", a hardwood.
All of the stone work was done by two English stone masons, the building was constructed with wooden pegs and square nails. Four stair cases started at the top and spiraled down through the five floors. The floor of the lobby was covered with hexagon shaped tiles in tan, brown and blue colors. The rooms were hexagon shaped with a bath located between every two rooms. Even before the days of air conditioning, Mr. Galbraith achieved a maximum amount of air circulation so necessary for the comfort of the guests in the hot Texas summers. The idea for the hexagon architecture came from the honeycomb.
David Galbraith, the owner, invented the paper clip, and along with other men of the century, contributed to the invention of acetate. The paper clip and acetate innovations slipped out of his hands because of poor business management.
The evening of the hotel opening, Mineral Wells witnessed its first electric lighting with DC electricity supplied by the newly installed electric power plant adjoining the hotel to the north. The power plant also housed the ice plant and the steam laundry. There was a list of users for the guests to see. It read:
Dr. B.R. Beeler - 1 light and 1 fan Gibson Well - 5 lights
...and so on. The power plant burned in 1925 and was replaced by the City's Convention Hall.
It was a great loss to Mineral Wells when the daughters
and heirs to the Hexagon decided to have the hotel torn
down for the materials in the building. Ira Tawater of
Seagoville, Texas started tearing the building down on
Monday, September 28, 1959. All of the materials in the
hotel were still in perfect shape when dismantling began.
Postcard
Postcard
Source: Ron Livingston, Courtnie McCloskey
Entered: February, 2002.
Updated: September, 2006.
