Built in the early 1900’s, the Pioneer Hotel, a stately brick high-rise, still stands in downtown Lubbock, Texas. I arrived in Lubbock in 1983 at the age of 25, and I needed a job. The owner of an employment agency called me about an opening at the Pioneer Retirement Hotel and said my background was a perfect fit.
She explained it was a hotel that had been repurposed to house seniors who no longer wanted to live at home. It sounded perfectly dreadful, but off I went to tour the place.
If it sounded appalling, what I saw during the tour was worse. Old people sat around in a lobby full of cigarette smoke. Beyond a dusty broken aquarium, matted red carpet covered stairs led to the second-floor ballroom. Around one corner was a dimly lit cafeteria with mismatched tables and chairs. Metal venetian blinds covered the windows. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I drove back to the agency with the news that I was not interested, however I agreed to speak to the owner of the hotel. Alice called from Santa Barbara, CA that afternoon. She and her partners had purchased nine historic hotels in urban areas across the country, and they intended to refurbish them and fill them with happy seniors.
When she asked how my tour had gone, I mentioned the smoke-filled lobby, the murky aquarium and the awful cafeteria-like dining area. She said, “You sound like you’re exactly who we need for the job.” I replied, “But I’m not really interested.”
Days later Alice arrived in Lubbock to persuade me. After all, I needed a paycheck and my training would be in Santa Barbara.
My job was to improve culture, business practices and restore and fill the hotel with people who needed a safe place to call home. I embrace challenges, so it was on. Within a week of taking the job, I knew my new purpose in life and I loved it.
I studied the history of the building, down to the original paint colors. I hired craftsmen to bring back the beauty of the building, one floor at a time. Restoring the beautiful wood and marble floors, peeling away elements that didn’t belong, cleaning and painting, we brought the building back to its former glory.
We also discovered hidden passageways, a sub-basement full of original furnishings, a closet filled with tiny wooden lockers for liquor bottles and a pully-operated dumb waiter used to transport liquor to the penthouse during Prohibition.
I fell in love with every inch of the building, the discoveries, the stories, and especially the delightful characters living there.
Mr. Brummel, a 100-year-old gentleman, exited the elevator every morning in a crisp 3-piece suit and fedora to walk to the bank where his son was president. The Wrights occupied a spacious suite on the top floor, where Mrs. Wright, surrounded by fine oil paintings, served tea from delicate porcelain cups.
Belle Romine led Bible-study every Saturday and sang hymns in a soft, crackly voice. Susie Lewallen, a retired nurse, wore a stethoscope around her neck, just in case she might be called upon to use it. Nell and Lucy got into loud arguments in the lobby on a regular basis, and Riley always intervened to help make peace. New sweethearts, Travis and Babe held hands on a sofa, while the youngest resident, Frank, a retired undertaker, sat in a beautiful armchair by the front door to welcome visitors.
Annabell, a legally blind former waitress, lived in a tiny room, her rent subsidized by the local Housing Authority. She came to my office every morning so I could read her mail. One morning, with shaky hands, she handed me a certified envelope. Inside, I read she had inherited more than 3 million dollars, and the envelope held a check for the first payment of $645,000. She made her way upstairs to let the news sink in. Within minutes she called and asked if I would contact the Housing Authority and tell them she hoped they could help someone else now. She wouldn’t need their money anymore.
(Jan Fitzhugh, is a longtime leader in senior care, and lobbyist for senior rights in Texas. She now spends her time in Wimberley as a leader in the art community. Always eager to connect and collaborate, she also volunteers for various nonprofit projects in Wimberley. [email protected] )
