Volume 4 , Issue 1

Alva's Bell Hotel

At the Corner of Fifth & Barnes Streets the Bell Hotel still stands. Unoccupied and a home for the many resident pigeons that now occupy the penthouse floor and call it home.

The Bell Hotel was named for a former Alva businessman and Mayor, George W. Bell, who died on September 24, 1925. The stockholders of the Alva Building and Investment Company, builders of the hotel, christened the new hotel "The Bell." However, perhaps because of the large Bell Hotel sign atop the building, it was always identified as the "Bell Hotel." The hotel had its grand opening on January 1, 1927.

I remember back when I was going to Washington Elementary School and I was in the 5th or 6th grade. Mrs. Coffman was my teacher. The Bell Hotel still had a soda fountain in the northeast corner of the main floor of the building. The Lobby was towards the center of the northside. I seem to recall a dress shop or some other kind of store next to the Lobby and west. After forty-something years, my memory is vague.

My folks, three sisters and I still lived at 703 7th Street in a two-story framed house which was catty-corner from the First Presbyterian Church. Every Saturday I would walk down to the Bell Hotel for Art lessons from Jack Hayward. During the break time from learning to draw and paint on my Saturdays, the whole class would all go into the Soda Shoppe next door at the Bell Hotel and get a soda or ice cream. That really seemed like a special treat back then for this young thing (ME).

In the late 1960s (maybe 1967 or 1968) It was still used as a Hotel. Not sure of the date it closed down, but if anyone out there has any other information to share concerning this Alva, Oklahoma Landmark, please drop me an EMAIL I would love to hear from you and see the photos you have of this Hotel - Past & Present.

Johnette (Scribner) Beagley, former Alvan & Class of '66, sent me this picture of the 'Old Hotel Bell Safe' that she purchased sometime back. Click on the photo to the left to see a larger view of the safe.

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