"The Douglass Hotel"

Lodging accommodations in San Diego  during the early twentieth century were not available to African Americans in white establishments.The social consciousness of this period is reflected in the name in the name given the hotel.The front facade plastering over masonry of this two-story building,square,brick building;over the double doors is a neon marquee that still reads "The Douglass."The hotel opened in mid-winter of that year under ownership of Robert & Mabel Rowe & George Ramsey.The owners reached into the annals of history and selected the name Frederick Douglass, the Rowe's for years successfully operated ideal rooms,a large Victorian lodging house at the corner Market and second.Around 1923,that structure was razed to make room for a two-story brick building.The Douglass Hotel had 45 sleeping rooms,a bar,a restaurant,and a 500-person-capacity ballroom.The ballroom operated operated as a cabaret that made this establishment extraordinary.The cabaret,known as the Creole Palace,was rather fashionable during its heyday.During the 1920,jazz music had permeated the nation's entertainment circles.The Douglass Hotel provided African American San Diegans,in a city otherwise closed to them,a stylish nightspot to hear the popular music.The Creole Palace had its own band and chorus line,and it regularly operated continuously as a hotel for more than 30 years.In 1956,Mabel Rowe Ramsey,by then the sole proprietor,sold the business.Today it is a group home operated by Alcoholics Anonymous.