The Southern Hotel in Covington operated for many years before it was designated in 1962 as a "motel" in an effort to keep up with the times.
The closing of the "motel" part of the Southern Building brought back a flood of memories for many townspeople, and the following week, the paper's editor Bob Landry wrote a lengthy history of the Southern Hotel and what it had meant to Covington over the decades. Its lively commercial retail rental spaces on the first floor were of particular interest.
Here is his feature story, published on February 3, 1972.
Here is the text from the above article:
Memories of the Past Are Linked With Covington's Southern Hotel
By Bob Landry
Old-timers with a love for atmosphere and tradition lament that a part of Covington is passing into limbo with the closing of the old Southern Hotel Feb. 1. Originally a hotel in the finest sense of the word, later modernized into a motel, it lost its distinctive exterior and interior appearances over a decade ago through changes designed to incorporate waste space into use.
A veranda which ran the length of the hotel facing Boston street was a place to watch the world go past, or at least, our small part of the world. Inside the. entrance doors was the massive, comfortable lobby, its floor of Spanish tile and its back wall highlighted by a huge stone fireplace, which in wintertime reflected a cheery glow from crackling logs.
In the center of the lobby, a tinkling fountain sprayed water into a pond beneath, where goldfish lived and played. Stepping through glassed French doors, guests found themselves in a tropical patio, where banana trees rustled their giant leaves, oleanders nodded their blooms, azaleas burst into bloom and camellias peeped from thick bushes.
Other tropical plants and evergreens decorated the patio and crowded St. Tammany of 1972 was far away. Built in traditional Spanish styling, popular in New Orleans in or around 1900 when the hotel was erected, it boasted a large dining room which was once visited by Duncan Hines, who recommended both the hostelry and the food.
Spanish architecture here, however, was not commonplace, and the Southern Hotel was unique.
A firm remembered as the Jenkins Brothers were contractors who built the hotel, which covers a quarter of a city square on Boston and New Hampshire streets. In remodeling, the cornerstone evidently was lost or covered, so the exact date of construction is not known. When the hotel opened, the first guests came by train from New Orleans, and a bang-up dedication followed.
There was a big dance, with gourmet food served by the hotel chef who had come from Europe to take charge of Southern's culinary delights. Summertime, as has always been the case in St. Tammany parish, was the hotel's busiest season. Some visitors came by train, others by boat. Two ferries plied Lake Pontchartrain at the time, the SS Susquehanna and the SS Madisonville. The ferries landed at Mandeville, and usually horse-drawn carriages provided transportation from there.
Popular in Covington at the time were the white sand beaches on Bogue Falaya River and the clean, cool, clear water in which to swim. Long-remembered river resort spots such as Sulphur Springs, Charropin Beach, and Bogue Falaya Park furnished picnicking spots for visitors. Many families in those days registered at Southern Motel for the entire summer.
The hotel was originally owned by the late C. E. Schonberg, who was also president of Commercial Bank & Trust Co., with offices in the hotel building. The hotel was purchased in 1948 by Bryan D. Burns and Philip Burns and was immediately renovated.
Owners and managers of some of the better and larger hotels in New Orleans came here to admire the "new" Southern, remaining awhile as guests.
The building at present is owned by Mrs. Bryan D. Burns and five children. Ten years ago, the hotel was again remodeled, and the colorful front porch was removed. Its space was incorporated into stores, offices, a restaurant and bar, fronting on the sidewalk.
At one time, there were several offices upstairs. The late Dr. H. E. Gautreaux was located there, as was the late Monroe Simmons, prominent Covington attorney. St. Tammany Insurance Agency, once had upstairs offices before moving downstairs. The agency has been in the hotel 40 years.
The front gallery, or veranda, or porch, is most remembered by old-timers, who tilted in oversized rocking chairs to relax, smoke a cigar, discuss politics just off courthouse square, or complete business deals. They say the veranda was a meeting place for people wishing to discuss business in a pleasant atmosphere.
Dances at old Southern Hotel were social events to remember--the mellow music of the bands, moonlight over the patio, and pretty girls in long evening gowns. But, like many other things, these too passed on.
There have been many famous guests at Southern Motel, but none attracted more attention than the late Gov. Earl K. Long, who had been committed to the hospital at Mandeville and was to undergo a court hearing in order to gain his release.
There are many people who recall something special about old Southern Hotel and The Farmer would appreciate hearing from these. Perhaps the correct date of its construction or interesting tales of the past.
But there's a brighter side to this picture. Though the building will not be used as a hotel, it will continue to rent its commercial space, and there are plans to utilize the upstairs portion, which has about 40 rooms, 32 of them in use by the motel at present.
St. Tammany Farmer, Covington, Louisiana, Thursday, February 3, 1972.
