Catacombs is located in what was once the Montvale Hotel's boiler room. Coal was brought into the building through the coal chute, which is now the "cave" seating area on the pub's east end. The coal was then shoveled into the boiler, which was located where the brick oven now stands. The old iron doors from the original boiler can be seen at Kafka Coffee House in Cheney.
Since 1899, the boiler room has been part of the Montvale Hotel's colorful history. In addition to being built as a hotel for silver miners, the Montvale Hotel has served as a hardware store, apartments and even a bordello! Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser was fired from his first job at Kilmer and Son's, the Montvale's long time first floor hardware store. Kaiser is known for the construction of the Spruce Goose, San Francisco's Bay Bridge and Hoover Dam. The last guests to stay at the Montvale Hotel were employees of Expo '74.
Fully renovated in 2005, the 36 room Montvale Hotel is listed on both the Spokane and National Registers of Historic Places and proudly stands as Spokane's oldest standing hotel building. Please feel free to take a tour of the Montvale's historic atrium. Ask the front desk to see a room! |