STUTTGART, Ark. (AP) — The historic Riceland Hotel in Stuttgart is headed to the auction block.
The hotel opened at Third and Main streets in 1923 and its guests included Ernest Hemingway and Clark Gable. The Stuttgart Daily Leader reports that the property is set to be auctioned on May 30.
The hotel is now vacant, but residents in Stuttgart hope the downtown icon can be revived. The hotel was added to the 2005 Most Endangered Historic Places List after preservationists found that a lack of maintenance threatened the integrity of the building.
Mayor Marianne Maynard says the city has heard from out-of-town investors who are interested in the hotel. The building is in need of restoration, and Maynard says the city is now scheduling tests to determine whether the property has asbestos.
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