Newspaper Page Text
Page 6A
- Wednesday, July 6,1994 "Houston Times-Journal
Green family celebrates 50th
By BOBBE NELSON
Special to th« HTJ
Travel anywhere, nationally or internationally, and chances are great that
when Perry, Georgia is mentioned, someone there will share pleasant
memories of a visit to the New Perry Hotel. Indeed, die reputation of this
landmark tourist attraction has become legendary.
The origin of the first Perry Hotel is hazy, but public records indicate
that it is very nearly as old as the town itself, for Deed Book E, Houston
County, Georgia, 1831-1834, testifies that Phenias Oliver sold the Tavery
known as The Perry Hotel to Benjamin Fudge on January 1, 1833. Ollier
entries 1 recorded in 1833 describe the contents: "16 Feather Beds and 16
Pine bedsteads, 32 cotten under sheets, 32 cotten counterpins, 30 sitting
chairs, 7 pine tables, 1 being burch, 1 dozen looking glasses, 3 dozen
wine glasses, 3 dozen tumblers, 10 dozen breakfast and dining plates, 5
iron pots, 2000 pounds of bacon, etc." Enough facts to assure us that
there was indeed a thriving accommodation for drummers and others who
came in on the stage. Perry was a logical place to offer such hospitality,
for here the North-to-South and East-to-West stage lines crossed.
The oldest hotel picture is dated 1893 and was given to Yates Green by
Mrs. Aubrey Anderson. Furnished in Victorian style, it had 18 rooms for
rent as well as an office, parlor, dining room and kitchen. In 1934 Warren
Grice edited a history of Houston County, compiled by Mrs. H.P.
Dobbins and Mrs. C.B. Andrew. Chapter 20, "A Stroll Through Perry
Sixty Years Ago", deals with Perry in 1873. The ambler begins his stroll
from the old Perry Hotel, reportedly built in 1870 and obviously the one
pictured here:
"In 1873 one who some years previously had moved away, returned and
was a guest at the Perry Hotel, formerly Cox's Inn. It was a large two
story frame structure painted white with a wide front veranda from which
two low steps led directly to die sidewalk. It was immediately south of
the courthouse and occupied the ground between the location whereon die
New Perry Hotel was later built and die street. The old sign, swaying
with every wind, on which was painted. 'Entertainment for Man and
Beast', had long since been taken down.
"Having shaved widi an old fashioned razor which he 'honed' on a long
leather 'strop', the ladier being made of ordinary soap and cold water, the
fumes of coffee arrested his attention. Presently, at die sound of the bell
rung by Bill Harrison, he went into the dining room for breakfast, fried
bream from Houston Factory was die piece de resistance." The chapter
later mentions "James M.Tuttle. Tutt’ afterwards so well remembered as
'Mine Host' of die Perry Hotel." Notes from The Houston Home Journal
describe his remodeling of die hotel: "Perry Hotel Improved. Twenty well
furnished rooms available for use of guests. Mr. and Mrs. James N. Tuttle
managers." (HHJ, Feb 18, 1886).
Tradition says diat aldiough the dining room was then becoming well
known among travelers and a gadiering place for local townsfolk, there
were no printed menus. Guests were invited to sit at long tables and were
served family style. Like die ambler, diey were called to meals by die old
bell ringer who walked down main street clanging his dinner bell.
Following Mr. Tuttle as operators were Mrs. Clifford Burnham Davis,
Major Milt Cooper, Tom Anderson and Mrs. Rochelle Cheves Skcllie.
In 1924, Mrs. Skellie realized that mass production of automobiles
combined widi paved state and federal highways had created a potential
new market of travelers. The Odom Realty Company was contracted to
build a grander, more stately structure to attract northern tourists on their
way to Florida. She named it The New Perry Hotel and the name has
stuck through the years. To answer why it's still called "new" 70 years
later, columnist Doris Lockerman invented die most credible answer when
she wrote in 1964, "People here know that the New Perry Hotel is their
claim to apparently unending international Rune, and they are willing to
concede it eternal youth in payment." ( Atlanta Constitution —April 10,
1964).
When the old hotel was demolished, Mrs. Skellie continued to operate
die New Perry Hotel until 1929. Her successor, J.J. "Jimpy" Rooney,
refurbished the hotel throughout, and added air cooling and floodlights.
When he began billboard adverdsing from Chattanooga to Jacksonville,
tourists soon discovered diat Perry was indeed an ide;d stop. The New
Perry Hotel's reputation for good food and Soudiem Hospitality spread
quickly earning the recommendation of Duncan Hines <md die American
Automobile Association.
He continued to operate the New Perry Hotel until a young couple came
shopping for a hotel. Yates and Nannette Green had met through their
work with the Stiles Hotel Chain when she worked as dining room
hostess and he as hotel clerk in die Baldwin Hotel in Milledgeville. After
their marriage in 1937, diey were sent to DeFuniak Springs, Florida, as
co-managers of the Walton Hotel, and later to Fair Forest Hotel in Union,
South Carolina. In 1941, when war was declared, Yates was inducted into
the U.S. Army at Ft. Jackson, S.C..
The story of their coming to Perry is best told through Nannette’s
memories.
"On Sunday, the day of the big ice storm in January 1944, Yules and I
left the Georgian Hotel in Athens where we had worked since his
discharge from the Army. (Uncle Sam's Infantry could not find a place for
a soldier with such unusually fiat feet.) Since November we had been
traveling with John Stiles, Yates' uncle who had formed The Stiles Hotel
Chain. We were looking in the area for hotels that might be for sale.
This night we were traveling alone to Americus, Georgia, for we had
accepted jobs with Howard Dayton at the beautiful old Windsor Hotel.
(This hotel has recently been restored and is once again a showplace of
English architectural design.) We remembered that as we were leaving the
Georgian Hotel, the desk clerk called to us, 'lf you are on your way to
Americus, you will be passing through Perry. The hotel there might be
exactly what you are looking for.'
We knew about the New Perry Hotel because we had spent one night of
our honeymoon there and had often said it would be an ideal place to
work...we'd never dreamed of owning it. We debated all the way whether
to stop, but when we finally reached Perry, our car wheels seemed to turn
in that direction. 'Remember we left our security at home,' I said to
Yates...meaning Uncle John...and we laughed wondering how our
adventure in business would turn out.
To our amazement Mr. and Mrs. Rooney were really interested in
selling. When the Rooneys spoke of financial arrangements, our hearts
were pounding. We were totally insecure without Uncle John to back us.
After fumbling for words and looking at me, fearful of what I might say,
Yates said he thought financing could be arranged. We weren't sure how.
We had used up most of our savings; we owned the 1941 Chevrolet we
were driving and the contents packed in its backseat: a lamp, a table, a
chair, a clothes hamper and a magazine rack.
We called Yates' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Green, and his Uncle
John. In two months all arrangements had been made; we turned in our
resignations at The Windsor and took over the New Perry Hotel operation
on April 1, 1944. We will always be indebted to Uncle John and to Pap
and Mama Green for their encouragement, their faith in our hotel
management ability and their investment which made our venture
possible.
We spent our first week observing Mr. Rooney's operation. He had been
so successful that we didn't want to change anything at first. (And 50
years later, we are still using some of his recipes!) Yates and 1 had fun
working as a team. He managed the desk and made the business decisions
while I concentrated on the kitchen and dining room. It was truly a dream
come true. We built our own apartment on the ground floor and lived
there for many years."
The kitchen and dining room training Nannette had received under Henry
Thornton and Lucille Diamond at Balsam, North Carolina, hardly prepared
Specializing in Southern
BL • PL’ dfck *
The oldest picture of the Perry Hotel Is dated 1893 and was ther-ln-law, Tom Anderson, operated the Perry Hotel in the
given to Yates Green by Mrs. Aubrey Anderson, whose fa - late nineteenth century.
Opening of
New Perry
Hotel--
Three hundred attend buffet
supper and dance
An event of unusual civic
importance as well as social
interest to Perry and this
section was the formal
opening of the New Perry
Hotel on last Wednesday
evening. Some three
hundred guests were present
to enjoy the event, and were
given the opportunity to
inspect the new hotel.
Besides a large number of
local people, large parties
from Macon, Fort Valley,
Hawkinsville and other
neighboring cities were
present.
From seven to nine a
supper was served buffet
style afterwards there was
dancing in the dining room,
there being about one
hundred couples on the floor.
Perry matrons and a score
or more of Perry’s prettiest
girls assisted Mrs. Skellie,
the proprietress in serving
"People here know that the New Perry Hotel is
their claim to apparently unending international
fame, and they are willing to concede it eternal
youth in payment."-Doris Lockerman, columnist
for the Atlanta Constitution in 1964, describing
why the hotel is still called "new" 70 years later.
*mj am mmi 1 .
Perry’s Newest and Most Modern Hotel
Formal Opening
. Wednesday, June 17th
Opening Dance at 9 p. m.
Parties from vicinity please write, wire or
phone for reservations.
ESTABLISHED MORE THAN
100 YEARS AGO
This sxquislta New Hotel is three Btories high and is
modern in every sense of the word. Everything is new
throughout and the best of service will be rendered at all
times. It is located on three highways, malting it con
venient for everyone.
NEW PERRY HOTEL
PERRY, GEORGIA.
. -yrjMyv/? / jwii *lgp
kttt 1 I 'lt -t«»»« mjp, m imm
When the New Perry Hotel celebrated Its formal opening June 17, 1925, Aurelia Evans -id
Jo Skellle were among those who attended the buffet dinner and dance. The three story
tel featured 40 rooms with heat and running water In every room and connecting bath ;
her guests. The Southern
Serenaders of Macon
furnished music for the
occasion.
Perry has every reason to
be proud of her new hotel
40 Rooms
Heat and
i ‘Running
Water in
Every Room
CONNECTING
BATHS
which has just now made its
formal bow to the public, and
many guests who saw the
hotel on Wednesday night for
the first time declare it to be
the most beautiful and most
Ok T*” -ja&tt 'i^lS?*-
Af ' 0r IKgfe tfjp**' ’.A;«£jlif~ls!i!w
>— '“ ill 8ff«
wtt. _
ska 'x ,s <: .•• i\< #J«k Wl’'
..v 4A
Honeymooners Nannette (Dial) and Joe Yates Green
stopped for a night at the New Perry Hotel on their way to
Florida In 1937. They returned as owners when they bought
the property from J.J. (Jimpy) Rooney In 1944. This w
their dream come true.
modern to be found in any
city of Georgia of less than
20,000 inhabitants,
--reprinted from The
Houston Home Jour J
Thursday, June 18, 1925