Then & Now: The Carroll Hotel

Remembering the Carroll Hotel: Vicksburg’s Lost Landmark

By Chris Bohm

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Remembering the Carroll Hotel: Vicksburg’s Lost Landmark.

It’s hard to picture now, but at the corner of Clay and Walnut Street, there once stood a grand and elegant hotel. Opened in 1893, the Carroll Hotel was one of the city’s finest buildings at the time. It was built to be modern, impressive, and inviting. Named for E.C. Carroll, the local businessman who led the project, the hotel was meant to put Vicksburg on the map as a destination for travelers and businessmen passing through the South.

Designed by New Orleans architect Thomas Sully, the hotel was constructed with the best that the late 19th century had to offer: steam heating, electric bells, elevators, city gas, and spacious guest rooms. The lobby was grand, and the ground floor hosted shops and offices, including everything from a barbershop to a power company. For years, the Carroll was not just a place to stay; it was a central part of life in downtown Vicksburg.

However, its construction wasn’t easy. The original contractors, Jackson and Helbert from Chattanooga, ran into trouble, and the project was delayed and went over budget. A second builder, Robert Morrison, was brought in to finish the job. Despite the setbacks, the hotel’s bar opened on September 22, 1893, followed shortly by the billiard hall, and finally, the rest of the hotel opened on October 10. It quickly became one of the city’s favorite gathering spots.

Over time, the hotel changed along with the city. In the 1950s, it was renamed the Jefferson Davis Hotel. Eventually, business slowed, repairs lagged behind, and the grand old structure began to fade. In 1967, after more than 70 years standing tall over Clay Street, the hotel was torn down. In its place today stands a small concrete parking garage.

Though the building is gone, its memory still lingers, especially among those who remember downtown Vicksburg in its prime. Photos of the hotel continue to circulate online, and local historians still tell its story. The Carroll Hotel may be lost to time, but it remains a piece of Vicksburg’s past that helped shape the downtown we know today.

The first image is part of the Old Court House Museum’s collection and was taken in the 1890s. The second image was recently taken by Chris Bolm.

The Old Courthouse Museum has an amazing collection of old photos taken in the Vicksburg and Warren County area. If you are ever interested in getting an old photo printed for your home or business, contact the staff at the Old Courthouse Museum and they can make it happen.

________________________________________________________________

Starting in 2022, Chris Bolm began to take images from the Old Court House Museum‘s photo collections and pinpoint their current locations and replicate the shot. Bolm named the series “Then and Now.”