Finished staircase furthers restoration of Hotel Libby

A Kranich and Bach piano from the 1800s sits against one of Hotel Libby’s walls as a remaining memory of the days of Lincoln coupes and candlestick phones as Edgar, the resident black cat, slinks around the quiet, deserted lobby.

A refurbished and restored main staircase has become the latest improvement for Hotel Libby, the pink and pallid relic that sits on California Avenue, which Gail Burger is restoring for re-opening in 2017.

“I think it looks really good,” Barney Hammons, the contractor who completed the staircase, said. “I’m proud of it.”

Hammons said the project took about six weeks. The staircase is covered with 2 coats of sanding sealer and four coats of Varathane, a standard sealant for wood. The staircase made of larch wood had seen years of wear and tear from renovations that covered the original finish of the building.

Burger said the hotel is going to be restored to the way it looked in the 1930s with the help of historical and other state-funded grants. Although the hotel was built in 1898, 1930 was the first time the building was painted.

The hotel has gone through numerous renovations and was modernized in 1946, which sacrificed much of the old-time aura. The ceiling was lowered three feet—Burger said the ceiling will be raised back up to its original height—and carpeting and layers of paint covered the history of the site.

The hotel is three stories with both an attic and a basement. There will be 22 rooms, and three of these will be grand suites, one on each floor. Burger said several of the rooms are going to be original-style rooms that will have no technology and other era elements such as a washing basin to completely replicate the 1930s lifestyle.

For the Hotel Libby to qualify as a historical property, only its common areas technically have to fit into the historical time frame. While the lobby might look as if the only thing missing is the musk of men’s coats and pink Depression-style glassware, most of the hotel rooms, excluding the “original” rooms, will have modern amenities for guests.

In 1977, Hotel Libby ceased to house the masses, and Burger’s parents bought the property. Burger picked up the project about four years ago when she was living outside of Anchorage, Alaska. Two years ago, Burger moved back to Libby because the distance between Alaska and Libby was too far—back in Libby, she is better able to manage the project.

The staircase is one of many mini-projects for the hotel as it nears its 2017 opening. The next improvements include changing the light green-painted lobby walls back to their wooden slated nature with wainscoting on the bottom half. The main floor back area will be made into a dining area. A mural on the wall, painted by local artist Roy Porter, behind the piano will remain. The floor will be laden with original-style tile, as well as the bathrooms.

Burger said the project is also awaiting grant funds for a restoration of the hotel roof. Guests will also receive a vintage-style key to their rooms instead of the common plastic card used at most hotels.

There will also be a “key club,” where members can donate money and receive a key ($1,000 for platinum, $600 for gold, $300 for silver) to support the hotel. More information can be found on the hotel’s Facebook page.

Burger said the main lobby area of the hotel will be open to the public to tours starting Friday, Aug. 15. The hotel is slated to open in 2017.