The Whatley Hotel is a two-story, wood frame, building with a steep hip roof and an attached, wraparound, two-tier gallery displaying Queen Anne design elements such as turned posts with comer brackets and a spindled balustrade. The foundation for the Whatley Hotel was laid in early 1888. It is believed that Alexander David Whatley, the eldest son of F. B. Whatley, constructed the building. The Clarke County Democrat reported in February 1888 that he was laying the foundation for a hotel. The August 1888 issue of the Clarke County Democrat stated that “Messrs Nettles & Dacy are putting up a handsome, commodious building at Whatley, to be used as a hotel.” Presumably, Nettles and Dacy were the first owners. The first manager of the hotel was Mrs. Tracy Bettis Anderson. Later on, Alexander’s wife, Nancy A. Spinks Foreman Whatley, operated the hotel for many years. It was then managed by Mary Simian Coleman. From the 1930s or 1940s until c. 1962 when the hotel closed, it was managed by Velma Garrick Coleman.
This building is a contributing property to the Whatley Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on April 30, 1998. It located in Whatley near the east end of Main Street across the road from the Whatley Post Office building (GPS coordinates 31.650477, -87.706021).
Source: NRHP “Whatley Historic District” Registration Form.
Photographs courtesy of RuralSWAlabama.