If you’ve ever traveled up North Broad Street and admired the old and beautiful buildings along the way perhaps you’ve wondered what they once were. Now you have the chance to read a story about one of the most thought provoking buildings of all, the Divine Lorraine Hotel.
The Divine Lorraine Hotel, also known as the Lorraine Apartments, has long been a Philadelphia Landmark, was built sometime between 1892 and 1894 and was designed by architect Willis G. Hale. Originally it was an apartment building for some of Philadelphia’s wealthiest residents, it later became the first hotel in Philadelphia to be racially integrated.
The hotel was eventually abandoned and has been left to vandals and graffiti artists for many years until a reconstr
uction plan was started in September of 2015. Some believe the hotel is even haunted, either way it has a rich and long Philadelphia History.
A new novel, Divine Hotel, by Bucks County author, Nicole Loughan, delves into the the history of this famous building bringing us back to a time when the Divine Hotel was thriving and a part of the Peace Mission Movement of Civil Rights Leader Father Divine. The book, a work of historical fiction, includes elements of time travel and magic, and weaves Philadelphia’s history with themes of greed and injustice to tell a story which resonates today. The book was released on March 28th and you have a chance to meet the author on April 11th and 6pm at the Wynnefield Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library.
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