Dublin Core
Title
Kiddy Hotel/House
Subject
Downtown Businesses
Description
The Kiddy Hotel/House was the primary hotel for the Sweetwater area of east Florence at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The proprietors of the Kiddy Hotel were the husband and wife couple of James and Harriet Adair Kiddy. The Kiddy Hotel sat atop the East Hill in Sweetwater when the area became the center of the industrial boom in Florence. Before the hotel was on East Hill, it was on Aetna Street within a short distance of the Central Baptist Church in east Florence. After moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the hostelry was near Blair, Connor, and Cole Streets in east Florence. Shortly after moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the Kiddy’s sold the property to the Beckman family of the Florence area.
During the years of operation for the Kiddy Hotel, Harriet Kiddy was well known for her cooking ability. Colloquially deemed “Aunt Harriet’s” cooking, she made from scratch beaten biscuits for breakfast and buttermilk custard for supper for the guests of the hotel. Her hotel cooking gained her local acclaim as a wonderful cook, to the point where traveling businessman through Florence would stay at her hotel just for her cooking. An interesting fact for the hotel is that the kitchen was in the cellar of the multi-story hotel, so Aunt Harriet would use a hand-operated dumb waiter to deliver the food to the guests in the dining room on the first floor.
During the years of operation for the Kiddy Hotel, Harriet Kiddy was well known for her cooking ability. Colloquially deemed “Aunt Harriet’s” cooking, she made from scratch beaten biscuits for breakfast and buttermilk custard for supper for the guests of the hotel. Her hotel cooking gained her local acclaim as a wonderful cook, to the point where traveling businessman through Florence would stay at her hotel just for her cooking. An interesting fact for the hotel is that the kitchen was in the cellar of the multi-story hotel, so Aunt Harriet would use a hand-operated dumb waiter to deliver the food to the guests in the dining room on the first floor.
Creator
M.C. Fesmire, University of Alabama
Source
Text Sources:
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence: Florence Historical Board, 1989.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003.
Picture Source:
UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Kiddy Hotel/House.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-03.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence: Florence Historical Board, 1989.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003.
Picture Source:
UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Kiddy Hotel/House.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-03.
Publisher
Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
Date
Late Nineteenth-Early Twentieth Century
Format
Image