121-125 Royal St.

Mr. Mayor:

I have the honor to transmit to you the result of the session of the City Council of the 6 of this month.

Seeing the proportion that the representatives of the Faubourg St. Mary in the City Council, to wit: Messrs. Samuel Winter and B. Morgan, were named for the purpose of entering with arrangements with the proprietor of the Ropewalk, and buying from him the portion of land necessary to prolong the streets of this City across the said Ropewalk.

Building contract

For David Urquhart, owner.

C. Pollock, Vol. 6/86

We are indebted to the proprietor of the Cosmopolitan Restaurant, No. 11 Royal Street, for an invitation to be present at their opening this evening at six o'clock.

Act of sale

From Armand Pilie to J. B. Solari.

C.T. Soniat

[N.B. See Mortage Office Book, Vol. 129/253.]

"The old 'Cosmopolitan' restaurant, for so many years a landmark on Royal street, between Canal and Customhouse streets, has been razed to the ground, in order that the site be utilized for the building of a hostelry more in accord with modern idea of improvement, elegance and comfort. Mr. J. B. Solari, a well-known merchant and property holder owns the location and will cause to be erected an edifice worthy of the age of progress in which we live. The work of demolition is, at present, concluded, and the process of reconstruction will soon begin.

The building will be five stories and a half, the basement to be a café-restaurant will contain large airy, well-furnished rooms. It is needless to say that the hotel will be fitted up with all items of modern convenience such as elevators, electric lights, annunciators and bells, costly furniture, etc.

....[t]he hotel will be leased to a company already formed....[t]he hotel will be completed on or about October 1."

On Royal between Canal and Customhouse, there is in the process of construction a magnificent five storied building which is destined for hotel purposes. The property belongs to the estate of the late J. E. Solari and the structure is being erected by Mr. John Henry, the well-known builder, at the request of Councilman George W. Stockton, City Engineer B. M. Harrod inspected a certain portion of a series of bay windows, in double row, occupying four of the stories. As these windows are of wood it was feared that there might be danger in the event of fire breaking out. Major Harrod reported...that although the windows are of wood, it is intended to cover them with galvanized sheet iron.

"...handsome new five-story building erected on the site of a famous old hostelry, No. 13 and 15 Royal Street, Messrs. Eugene Krost and Joseph Voegtle, the proprietors...Cosmopolitan Hotel and Café Restaurant...Chef Emiile Lubeight - in the hotel are twenty-four rooms, etc."

The rear of the new Cosmopolitan Restaurant on Royal St. was badly damaged by the fire of Feb. 17, 1892.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel
13 and 15 Royal St. and 16 and 18 Bourbon...extending through from street to street....[t]he new ladies' restaurant on the Bourbon street side is the handsomest place of its kind ever opened here....[t]he Cosmopolitan contains 125 rooms. It is in two parts, the Royal street front, devoted to its transient business, and the Bourbon street side to family and permanent guests....[t]t is furnished throughout in elegant style, the furniture, in fact, was made especially for it. It is run on the European plan, and has a café, which is high, light and airy. It has all the latest electrical devices to insure comfort, electric fans, etc.

"The New Astor Hotel, now run by O. W. Zeagler, at 121-5 Royal St[reet]....[b]efore the Astor Hotel came into being there the building was the Cosmopolitan Hotel for 50 years the scene of the making and breaking of Louisiana politicians. Before that time it was the residence of Dr. Antonmarchi, physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, who came to New Orleans after the tragedy of Waterloo, and who practiced here for many years.

The building is tall and very shallow, with rooms commodious and with very high ceilings with arches across the center, surrounding a curved stairway over which, at the top of the five stories, a skylight shines. Each room has a private bath, and is steam heated. All rooms have bay-windows.

The lobby is on the second floor, to which an elevator ascends, and the parlor is there, too.

...[t]he New Hotel Astor came under the management of Mr. Zeagler in June of this year."

"Fire originating in the storeroom of the St. Regis Café, Royal Street, near Canal,.. damage estimated at $20,000....[t]he guests of the Astor Hotel, just above the fire....most of them left their rooms....practically all of the damage was confined to the Café."

"The Hotel Astor: Prominent Past....Uncertain Future"

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