Belmont Hotel Bar

Built in 1924, the 12-story, 200-room "New Belmont" Hotel was built to replace an older Belmont Hotel at Mifflin and Pickney.  The New Belmont sparked controversy for obscuring views of the State Capitol. Its existence inspired a 90-foot height restriction still in place over 100 years later.  It was billed as the largest and most fire-proof hotel on the Capitol Square for decades.

For reasons unknown, the Belmont Hotel Bar became a meeting place for gay men long before Stonewall. Although we use 1963 as a start date, it was likely a hotspot long before then. From 1963 to 1967, the Belmont was mentioned in every national gay guide -- Lavender Baedeker, Directory 43, Guild Guide, Male World, and Damron's -- which speaks to its popularity and/or notoriety.  Unfortunately, these listings say nothing about the experience, interior, or ambience of the bar itself. 

The Belmont remained a family-owned hotel until 1968, when it was purchased by the YWCA. Their acquisition, and subsequent renovations, led to the removal of the "Belmont Hotel Spa."  This effectively dispersed the gay scene that once gathered here.

In 1990, the Belmont Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places.