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year at The New Perry Hotel
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Yates and Nannette Green, as the gracious hosts of the
New Perry, were also Perry's unofficial publicity chairmen,
for they worked diligently to promote tourism In the town of
Perry. In 1968, the Perry Business Women's Club elected
Nannette "Woman of the Year". In making the presentation,
Harriet Houser began with, "Shakespeare said, 'Beauty lives
with kindness' and unknowingly made a capsule description
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The Hotel was completely remodeled In 1947 after fire de
stroyed the upper floor. Luxuries like telephones and prl
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With the end of World War II and gas rationing, America was
traveling again. Before Interstate 75, Highway 41 brought
prosperity to Perry as a revitalized tourist Industry flour-
Hospitality since the 1880 s
of this lovely lady." Nannette was thanked for her work in
the beautification of Perry, her generosity In caring for
others. In 1969, the Perry Klwanls Club named Yates "Man
of the Year", complimenting his public spirited leadership in
promoting Perry through the automobile Association and the
41 Highway Association. In a tribute to them in The Houston
Home Journal, Ruby Hodges dubbed them, "Mr. and Mrs.
Perry."
vate baths were added to the rooms. Everyone was Invited
to an open house reception to celebrate the reopening.
Ished. The New Perry Motel begun In 1955 responded to the
need for more rooms to rent.
Wednesday, July 6, 1994 Houston Times -Journal -
her for some of the realities of restaurant business in wartime.
Keeping the pantry stocked wasn't a matter of picking up the phone and
placing an order. Commodities such as sugar were rationed and others
such as coffee and chocolate were often unavailable. Most of the
vegetables were fresh, bought from local farmers or grown in the garden
on the premises. She laughs now to remember her own naivete at
vegetable gardening. Thinking to plant a small patch of turnip greens, she
ordered three pounds of seed at Andrew Hardware, enough for acres of
turnips. Mr. Talton asked which farm they had purchased and would they
be growing turnips for a cannery.
Chickens and turkeys were kept in a coop where the Hotel gazebo is
located and were slaughtered as needed. Once this rather unpleasant task
was assigned to some young boys who were told simply to "dress die
turkeys for dinner tomorrow." When their puzzled looks told her Uiat they
didn't understand, Nannette explained that "to dress" meant "to pluck out
their feathers." Horrified, she later realized die inexperienced boys were
doing exactly that. She had not diought it necessary to say, "First, you
kill the turkey!"
Cooking was done on wood stoves and since most of die men were still
in the armed services, keeping die woodbox filled was quite a chore. To
experience Georgia in July is to understand how welcomed gas stoves and
air conditioning could be after a few summers of wood stove cooking.
Nannette continues her story.
"Mr. Rooney was an avid gardener with rows of vegetables and flowers
for the dining room. Yates had no interest here so the flowers became an
important part of my life and how thankful I am for them! With Pat
Cartlege, I have enjoyed developing Hotel gardens that our guests can
look forward to visiting with each changing season. Lucille Diamond
instilled in those of us who worked for her at the Balsam Hotel the
importance of fresh flowers on the table. She sent us into the mountain
woods each morning to collect wild flowers for our tables there. With Mr.
Rooney's row gardens, we grew our own flowers for the tables. Eager to
show that I knew how to decorate the tables on our first morning, I sent
someone to pick the beautiful blue iris. He did....just below each bloom.
With no stems to arrange them, I had to plop one beautiful iris atop each
bud vase."
Nannette has lived down that first flower fiasco by not only keeping
fresh flowers on die hotel's white starched tablecloths for these 50 years,
but also winning numerous awards for the attractive landscaping and
decorations. Christmas 1944 remains an outstanding decorating memory.
This was Yates' and Nannette's first Christmas away from home and
family. They found themselves surrounded by service people and others
who were also homesick but could not travel because of gas rationing.
Determined to have a happy celebradon for diemselves and dieir guests in
spite of die war imposed restrictions, diey found a Georgia pine in die
woods and enlisted die creative efforts of hotel guests. Because tree
decorations could not be purchased—not even at Mr. Crockett's new 5 and
10 Cent Store—they cut and pasted paper chains, angels, lanterns and bells
and were well pleased widi their festive results.
During die past 50 years, Christmas decorations have become more
elaborate and are a mini tourist attraction in diemselves. Even so, the
picture of that first homemade Christmas tree, shared with odier friends
who couldn't travel home for Christmas, still evokes a special smile of
remembrance for her.
But all of her memories are not humorous. She remembers the scariest
night of all.
"in 1947 our dream almost became a nightmare when two guests
discovered a fire on the third floor of the hotel. All guests escaped safely
with their clothes and valuables. We were certainly thankful for that even
though no one stopped to pay. When morning came we were left with a
t 'ery charred, water-logged hotel. We considered rebuilding, but chose to
remodel and update our facility. That meant reroofing, replastering,
repainting, recarpeting, rewiring, refurnishing-adding a new heating
system, private bathrooms (the old hotel had only four and guests were
beginning to ask for this luxury,) telephones in the rooms (the hotel had
only one) and gas stoves to replace the old hot wood stoves in the
kitchen.
That turned out to be a wise decision, for with the end of World War 11,
people had found more time and money for travel and could once again
buy gasoline. By 1955, we needed more rooms and so contracted with
Dennis and Dennis of Macon for the New Perry Motel to be built where
Mr. Rooney's garden had been. We began with eight rooms and added
others as the budget would allow.
In 1957 we asked Yates' brother, Harold Green, to join our hotel staff and
were thankful when he agreed. He came with his wife Elaine and daughter
Marsha from Tallahassee, Florida, where he had worked in hotel
management with the Stiles Hotel Chain. Harold's coming gave us
freedom from the seven days a week responsibility and allowed Yates to
pursue other business interests: The Quality Inn was built, the Plantation
House restored, and a shopping center developed off 1-75. Harold's
contributions during these 37 years have been invaluable. He has kept
everything running smoothly, and we could not possibiy have managed
without him during these past few years of Yates' illness and death. I shall
always be grateful for his loyalty to us and his steady management.
In 1981, Marsha also joined our hotel staff as Hostess. She had helped
out part time as desk clerk throtigh her teenage years and we welcomed her
back as a full time staff member. Now as Bookkeeper and Secretary, she
assists her father in the overall operation, continuing the 50 year Green
family tradition of Southern Hospitality at the New Perry Hotel."
Harold and Marsha make a good management team; he remembers the
past and continues die good traditions; she updates and brings in die new
(like computers!) when it's needed. Nannette continues widi Pat to keep
the gardens picture perfect all year found.
Aldiough the hotel has mellowed in these past 50 years of Green
ownership, it retains much of its 1940 s gracious ambiance. Th£ Louise
Turner original camelia and magnolia paintings still grace the walls, Elise
Rogers still greets die guests from die main desk as she has done for 37
years. Mary Kovac and Sallie Williams share their nearly 40 years of
culinary experience at the New Perry with newly hired personnel, keeping
the favorite recipes intact. Berdia Hill, Roosevelt Collier and Milton
Jones are 25 year veterans who also help keep diings pretty much the
same in the kitchen. From early morning, aromas whet appetites of
everyone in the vicinity as the kitchen crews are preparing fresh
vegetables, baking their own special breads and homemade pies, cutting
and roasting sides of beef, pork and lamb. In the dining room, returning
guests recognize the familiar faces of Louise Lassiter and Juanita Sledge
among the waitresses. These two have served them for over 30 years.
Interview diese guests in the dining room and often they will say, "Oh,
yes, we've been coming here for many years. Our parents brought us here
as children and now we are bringing our children and grandchildren. We
schedule our trips to be here for a meal." Others confide that they have
made the New Perry Hotel a second home and consider it a privilege to
return each winter for several weeks or months. Eldora Lester and her
cleaning crews keep their rooms ready for them, for they are more like
family friends than tourists.
Thus the story ot the New Perry Hotel is truly the story of Southern
Hospitality exemplified-welcoming strangers traveling through Perry and
making them want to return, sharing with cherished friends in a unique
way, helping to promote the town of Perry. Nannette likes to reminisce
about the old days and treasures the memory of many dear friends who
have visited during these 50 years, enriching her life.
So here's to you, Nannette, and to your wonderful memories, "Happy
Anniversary on your 50th year at the New Perry Hotel. We wish you
many happy returns!"
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