Monticello Hotel celebrates renovation efforts | Local
If R.A. Long were to step inside the Monticello Hotel today , he would find it looking much like it did when he was busy founding the city of Longview in 1923. The historic hotel , the first major building to rise in the new town, is nearing the end of a multimillion- dollar renovation . It is packed with turn-of-the-century antiques and old paintings. The ceiling plasterwork of its Crystal Ballroom, long covered by a drop ceiling, is fully restored, and the arched ceiling is again flanked by plaster columns. Mr. Long would find plenty of new features, too: a red-hued “speakeasy” with burgundy wood bar , crystal chandeliers, a stage for performers and dozens of newly-renovated apartments in the second and third floors. Ten months after purchasing the iconic property for $2.8 million, the new owners are celebrating the complete remodel of the Crystal Ballroom and progress in other areas of the hotel’s renovation with a Prohibition- era themed party Friday night . The sold-out party is e...