Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- 4343 Florida Street
 
OPENED
OWNERSHIP
AMENITIES - 1948
STATUS
March 30, 1941
Bill Farner
and
Charles Mooney
 
  • 72 rooms
  • 35 air conditioned
  • 37 with ceiling fans
  • 16 kitchenettes
  • private baths
  • room telephones
  • nice restaurant
  • beautiful lawn
 
(Pool added in 1958)
Open in 2007 as the
Alamo Plaza Motel
 
 
 
 

Ownership of the Baton Rouge Plaza was transferred to a Dallas, Texas based Indian-American group of hotel/motel owners by the 1990s. Safety and security concerns led them to fill in the walkways across the facade, and the swimming pool was decommissioned after a guest drowned.

Unfortunately the Alamo facade was painted a pinkish color trimmed in teal in 2001, and all of the guest room windows facing the street were removed. Additionally, bowing to pressure from local authorities, the Plaza's owner removed the wonderful circa 1959 "great sign" in 2004.

The billboard (right) advertised the Alamo Plaza to motorists approaching Baton Rouge from the west along U.S. 190, and likely dated from the 1940s! All but forgotten, it survived hidden from view in the brush. "Ghost signs" have also been spotted on approach to Jackson and Dallas.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Although restaurants were not a part of the Alamo Plaza chain, its founder, Lee Torrance, recognized the benefits of having one or several nearby. The Baton Rouge Plaza featured its adjacent Alamo Plaza Restaurant under the proprietorship of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Nelson at the time of the above postcard's printing.
 
Relax and enjoy fine foods and courteous service in a friendly atmosphere. We feature Seafoods, Steaks, Chicken, Sandwiches of all kinds. 100% air conditioned. private dining room for parties. Kiwanis meets here every Wednesday at 6:00 PM.
 
Like the Alamo Plaza itself, the restaurant was long-lived. First called the Alamo Grill, the eatery and its adjacent Alamo Service Station were operated by the Miller family. Then in 1949 the Nelsons took over the Grill while the service station became managed by John L. Torrance, Jr., yet the station apparently continued to me owned by the Millers and was listed in directories through the 1970s as Miller's Esso and then Miller's Mobile. As for the eatery, "Grill" was dropped in 1956 in favor of "Restaurant," and it remained in business until 1969. After a period of vacancy, the restaurant was converted into the Chinese Inn and enjoyed successful operation until sometime in the middle 1990s.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hurry Back to Alamo Plaza!
 
Postcard: circa 1950s
Photographs: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007