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Phelps County Bank

718 N. Pine St., Rolla, MO
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The Hotel Edwin Long opened in the new National Bank of Rolla building on Thursday March 12, 1931. Built by M. E. Gillioz, the hotel was rushed to completion in time to host the celebration of Route 66 being completely paved in Missouri just a few days later. The 75 room hotel included dining facilities in the Long Coffee Shop on the first floor and the College Inn banquet facilities in the lower level (the basement).

The large signs on the roof were originally for the hotel. Based on old postcards, those signs did show up at the same time. The entrances for both the hotel and the Coffee Shop have been eliminated and the spaces filled in with windows.

The bank itself still needed some finishing touches before it opened in it's new space on April 13, having moved from it's old location the day before. The bank occupied the northwest corner of the first floor and the hotel occupied the rest of the building.

The First National Bank only lasted a couple years in this location before failing and being liquidated in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. After the National Bank failed the Rolla State Bank moved into the banking spaces in the building and operated there until 1963.

The Phelps County Bank moved in 1963 after the State Bank left and says this is its first and only headquarters. The building is located at 8th & Pine St. It was placed on the NRHP in 2001.

The clock on the corner is interesting, but not original to the building.
A small plaque lists the buildings various names and states that it has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The 1931 date on the plaque is when the building was built.

Pine Street is one way going north today, but it was a two was street when the hotel opened and well into the 1950s at least.

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

HOTEL EDWIN LONG, Rolla, Mo.
Fireproof -- Elevator Service
75 Rooms with Bath, Tub and Shower
Single $2.00, $2.50, Double $3.00, $3.50
Popular Prices Coffee Shop

NOTE: The postcard show the entrance doors for both the hotel and coffee shop at the far corners of the building. The bank entrances are the door closer to the corner in the middle of the image.
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Photo(s): 2016