William H McCurdy, local industiralist and investor. The aging St George Hotel, on the existing site, was razed in 1915 to build this magnificent hotel. Designed by H Ziegler Dietz, the u-shaped, 8-story building featured a grand Rose Room located on the top floor. The hotel was built in opened for business on June 17, 1917. During its heyday, the McCurdy was operated as a Van Orman hotel. According to the Courier & Press' archives, several prominent guests stayed at the McCurdy including Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Sen. Business at the hotel dwindled in the late 1960s and McCurdy fell into bankruptcy. The hotel closed its doors March 16, 1969. Local businessman Robert E Green bought the hotel and reopened it. By October 1970, however, Green sold the building to Medco Corp, which stated its intention to turn it from a hotel into a residential facility and retirement home. In 1989, it was resold again, becoming the McCurdy Healthcare Center. In June 2006, McCurdy was renamed Riverwalk Communities and changed its cliental focus. After several violations and citations from the Board Of Health. The facility agreed to cease operations.
