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Architect's rendering--original color crayon graveur circa 1955
University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College's Hospitality Industry Archives
 
 
Postcard circa 1950s (detail)
 
 

Epitome of Good Design
Although it was not the first HJ Motor Lodge designed by Rufus Nims, Ocala was the culmination of his planning and carefully thought out vision for perfection in roadside lodging.

Only tweaked over the years, the basic room layout devised my Nims remained the Howard Johnson's standard until the Company's demise in the middle 1980s. The modern, amenity laden, and spacious guest rooms were never matched in thoughful design by another hospitality concern.

Right: Floor plan for one of the four types of rooms found at Ocala-South.
Architectural plan dated March 13, 1956: University of Houston's
Conrad N. Hilton College's Hospitality Industry Archives
 
 
 
 
Postcard circa 1950s (detail)
 
As a unit in the then fledgling chain of Howard Johnson Motor Lodges, Ocala-South became a member of Superior Courts United along with several other of the pre 1958 HoJo's. The idea was that by being a member of Superior, the locations would enjoy greater exposure to patrons thorough the then larger chain's referral network. Quickly though, it became unnecessary and undesireable for Howard Johnson's to have any affliation with Superior.
 
Architectural plan circa 1955:
University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College's Hospitality Industry Archives
 
 
Postcard circa 1960s (detail)
 
 
 
 
Photographs 2003: Courtesy of Phil Edwards
 
 
 
 

Architecture of the Future '50s Style!
Modern sleek and forward canted, the Ranch-style Gate Lodge created by Rufus Nims presented guests with an appealing preview of the Motor Lodge. Although there was no sample room within, materials and design elements were similar to what the guest could expect with his accommodations.

Note that Mr. Nims resisted the Company's request to use an Orange Roof, and that Ocala-South's Gate Lodge, like others of the era designed by him, featured a white roof that matched the roofs of the guest buildings. Nims believed that white roofs for the Lodge would stand out better in the dark as potential patrons sought out a room for the night!

Desiring an even more modern and dramatic roadside appearance, the Howard Johnson Company had abandoned the Nims Gate Lodge in favor of the taller more open A-frame design by about 1960.
 
 
Photograph September 1999
 
 
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