Hotel Victory

The Hotel Victory consisted of one main building, another building with dining rooms and servant quarters, as well as a Natatorium. It was designed by E.O. Fallis and the Feick Construction Company of Sandusky built the frame and structure, laying the cornerstone in September 1889. and averaged 1,000 guests a day in 1899. It had about 250 staff, most of whom were Black. Two of its managers were T. W. McCreary == 1919 fire ==

On August 14, 1919, a fire began in the hotel, possibly due to a faulty light wire. The flames originated in a cupola and quickly spread to the entire third floor. People in the hotel were notified by a phone call coming from outside of the building. There were 50 guests in the hotel at the time and all escaped uninjured. The fire could be seen from the lower end of the Detroit River. The Fire department had no hope of stopping the blaze and worked to keep it from spreading to other buildings. The loss was estimated at $450–500,000. Ruins Today, only the ruins of The Hotel Victory remain. The Natatorium, can still be viewed from up on the hill where the hotel once stood in the camping grounds of the state park. The site of the bronze statue "Winged Victory" remains intact. However, the actual statue was removed from the island and used for scrap metal. == References ==