Home > NM > Gallup >

Lexington Hotel Sign

408 W. Route 66, Gallup, NM
Phone: 505-863-4491

East < GO > West

The 33 room Lexington Hotel is located at 408 W. Route 66. It was built in 1930 and opened in 1931. It was intended to be refined lodging for weary travels. Like many downtown hotels of the time the hotel itself was on the second floor, with retail spaces on the ground floor. The lobby featured a pressed tin ceiling. Not many years after it opened the lobby became home to large Frescos by the artist Carl Von Hassler who was known as the “Dean of the Albuquerque Art Colony”. The Frescos depicted Native Americans and landscape scenes. Accommodating travelers in style continued at least through the 1960s.

In the mid-40s the hotel was sold twice first by the original owner, Mike Butkovich in 1945 for $80,000.00, and in 1n 1947 by the estate of the second owner for $60.000.00. The third owners, Mr. & Mrs. F. M. Edmundson took possession on September 20, 1947. The Edmundsons sold the hotel to Ella Starnes and her daughter in 1955.

Like so many once grand places, the hotel slowly lost it's luster and appeal to the traveling public over the years. As recently as the spring 2018 the building had been serving as a homeless shelter and/or transitional housing. But that use seemed to be in danger of ending due to a lack of funding and the building was put up for sale in 2018..

The original sign is the top portion, a smaller rectangular sign under that was added in early 1970. Both signs were renovated as part of the 2003 New Mexico Route 66 Neon Sign Restoration Project.

Photo(s): 2012, 2015