The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa Historical Perspective
Decadence Debuts in Uptown Dallas

When The Stoneleigh Court Hotel opened in October 1923 at the corner of Maple Avenue and Wolf Street, it was the first building of its kind in Dallas. The grand opening announcement heralded the building as a “…masterly accomplishment of Art and Craft…being the finest structure of its kind, the most modernly operated, most beautifully and completely appointed hotel south of the Mason and Dixon line.”

Ideal Home Where All Housekeeping Problems Have Been Solved For You
The cost of building this “ideal home where all housekeeping problems have been solved for you” was $1.5 million. Stoneleigh Court featured all of the latest conveniences, highest-grade furnishings and modern appointments available.

Guests socialized in the elegant lobby, women’s sun parlor and men’s smoking lounge on the first floor. The eleventh floor was a magnificent ballroom/solarium for special functions and a dining room serving the finest continental cuisine overlooking the city. Building amenities included a children’s gymnasium, beauty shop and barbershop, a grocery store in the basement, and The Stoneleigh Court’s own refrigerating plant, radio station and a 40-car parking garage.

Every conceivable contrivance was offered in the 135 spacious, two‐ to five‐room suites. A telephone and a “wireless” connection to the building’s high‐powered radio station were some of the ultra modern technology provided in every suite. Circulating ice water delivered cool drinking water and mechanical refrigeration in the kitchenette.

Every room had electric lights, fans and refrigerated air. Murphy “California” wall‐beds provided sleeping comfort and efficient use of space. Additionally, each suite was completely furnished with custom-designed home décor and accents from Sanger Brothers Department Store including furniture, draperies, linens and house wares.

Through the decades, The Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa has undergone changes of ownership and renovations that have only added character and charm to its sterling reputation for premier guest services.   

The Great Depression
In July 1929, as the Great Depression loomed, the Efficiency Apartment Corporation of New York, the building’s original owners, were forced to sell Stoneleigh Court due to the failure of G.L. Miller Company, who financed construction of the building with $700,000 in bonds. The new owners, The Stoneleigh Court Corporation, a company formed by holders of the first mortgage bonds, put the hotel under new management, re-furnished the interior and added a modern terra cotta design to the exterior. The Stoneleigh Court Hotel, the first hotel in Dallas to offer air-conditioned guest rooms, retained its elegance and standing as a place “for the discriminating person.”

By 1938, part of the eleventh floor and a twelfth floor addition were converted into a 7,500-square-foot art deco penthouse complete with hidden rooms and a secret passage to the tenth floor; thought to be a discreet escape route for late-night poker games. Adorned with marble floors, 500-year-old imported English Oak paneling from London’s Charterhouse School, ornamental plaster ceilings and ornate tile work, the rooms were a showcase for the Stewart’s collection of fine art and antiques and for hosting the elite of Dallas and celebrity guests of the hotel.

Broadcasting the Big Band sound from its studio occupying part of the eleventh floor, “KSKY – atop beautiful Hotel Stoneleigh overlooking downtown Dallas” became the station’s familiar call throughout its many format changes until the studio moved in 1982.

Stewart sold The Stoneleigh Hotel and neighboring Maple Terrace to Dallas Realtor, Leo F. Corrigan in 1943. Under ownership of the Corrigan family, The Stoneleigh Hotel’s warm hospitality, intimate character and personalized service continued to set a high standard among Dallas hoteliers. Mrs. Helen McGibney, one the hotel’s most beloved managers, became known for her tender care and attention to the lush gardens as well as her hotel guests. In 1952, the Maple Terrace grounds were updated with the opening of a new and elite private swimming pool club for its residents and hotel guests.

Nearly a decade later, in 1993, the hotel changed ownership again; purchased by an investment group that included foreign investors who made additional improvements. In 1998, a private dining and wine tasting room, The Grape, was opened by Chef Ewald in Col. Stewart’s former library. Later that year, a new investment group took control of the hotel. This investment group recently formed a development partnership with Prescott Realty Group. In 2005, plans to renovate the historic hotel and build The Stoneleigh Residences were announced.

The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa  - a Gathering Place
From its days as The Stoneleigh Court Hotel to the present, The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa has been a gathering place for the city with a tradition of hosting musical recitals, children plays, art shows and social events. Guests have crossed the spectrum from tourists to touring theater groups and entertainers, Hollywood royalty, music and sports legends. One could never be certain who might be on the elevator, dining at the next table in the restaurant or enjoying cocktails in the Lion’s Den, the hotel’s English-style pub.

Highlighting The Stoneleigh’s long list of notable guests have been such luminaries as Frank Lloyd Wright, Lauren Bacall, Jack Benny, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, The Metropolitan Opera Company, Carol Burnett, Carol Channing, Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Darrell Royal, Paul Simon, LeAnn Rimes and Oliver Stone. The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa is also member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Historic Hotels of America”.

Coinciding with the development of Stoneleigh Hotel, a new business block emerged along Maple Avenue. The Stoneleigh Pharmacy, the second of a chain of drug stores established by the Packard Drug Stores Inc., opened across the street as did the Sole-Fre Cleaners, Robin Goodfellow Tea Room and a Piggly‐Wiggly grocery.

In 1927, the 350-seat Dallas Little Theater opened on a hill overlooking Reverchon Park and became the artistic hub of Dallas through the 1940s drawing a host of celebrities and artists to enjoy extended stays at The Stoneleigh.  Through the decades, Stoneleigh Court’s environ has continued to be a vibrant center of daily life. The Old Warsaw Restaurant has been a Maple Avenue mainstay since it opened in 1948. 

In the aftermath of a fire in 1958, The Stoneleigh Pharmacy was refurbished into a favorite casual dining spot, The Stoneleigh P, named by the remains of its original neon sign.  The redevelopment of the Uptown and the creation of the Dallas Arts District in the 1980s and ‘90s generated a resurgence of the neighborhood’s eclectic charm. High‐rise office buildings and upscale residential developments rose amid stately historic homes readapted into boutique art and antique galleries, hostelries and businesses.

The Crescent Office
The architecturally stunning Crescent office, retail and hotel complex opened in 1987, establishing a benchmark of quality subsequent developments continue to match. In 1989, the restored McKinney Avenue Trolley, now the M‐Line connecting to the city’s DART Rail service, once again began service and helped sparked the neighborhood’s business and residential growth. That same year, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra moved to its new home at the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Dallas Arts District gained national recognition.

The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, and The Heritage at The Stoneleigh Hotel , will carry on a great legacy of amiable warmth and hospitality in what remains Dallas’ finest residential areas, nestled between the lush park setting of Turtle Creek and the vibrant pedestrian-friendly streets of Uptown.

Combining sophisticated elegance with historic glamour, The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa provides a unique mix of art, history, and modern glamour to present a renewed feeling of grandeur to the city of Dallas. New decadent dining options draw guests in with modern Italian cuisine from James Beard nominee and Iron Chef-challenger, Chef David Bull. Travelers will find a quiet retreat at The Spa at The Stoneleigh, the new full-service spa. 

1920s-1930s:
When Stoneleigh Court opened in October 1923 it was the tallest residential hotel west of the Mississippi and first building of its kind in Dallas. The Dallas Women’s Club held its charter meeting at The Stoneleigh in 1924. Stoneleigh Court soon became a prominent setting for social and cultural entertainment from private fetes to public concerts, theatrical productions and art exhibitions sponsored by The Dallas Women’s Club and the Dallas Women’s Forum. Dallas Little Theater opened its new mission-style building (now demolished) at the corner of Maple Avenue and Carlisle Street in 1928, a block from Stoneleigh Court.

By 1932, the Dallas Nine (Otis Dozier, Jerry Bywaters and other artists leading the Lone Star Regionalism movement) were meeting and holding Dallas’ first street art fairs on Alice Street (now the site of Stanley Korshak).
Stoneleigh Court was in the center of Dallas’ burgeoning cultural arts neighborhood and housed the music, dance and fine art studios of several artists-in-residence.

In 1934, colorful Texas entrepreneur Col. Harry E. Stewart purchased Stoneleigh Court. Known for their lavish lifestyle and entertaining, the Stewarts hired architects Greene, LaRoche & Dahl to design hotel improvements and add an opulent penthouse for their private residence. Dorothy Draper & Company of New York, the nation’s foremost interior design firm, was commissioned to style the rooms and lobby. Stewart purchased Maple Terrace, the mission style apartment building located across Wolf Street, in 1935. Among the many improvements to both properties was the purchase of two massive stone lions from an abandoned railroad tycoon’s Houston estate that came to guard the entrance of the hotel in 1937.

By 1938, part of the hotel’s eleventh floor and a twelfth floor addition were converted into a 7,200-square-foot Art Deco penthouse complete with hidden rooms, secret passages, 500-year-old English Oak paneling from London's Charterhouse School obtained from William Randolf Hearst, antique furnishings, and rare artwork.

1940s-1950s:
Beginning in 1939, The Stoneleigh became the unofficial headquarters for the annual spring tour of the Metropolitan Opera Company. The hotel was known as “Where the Stars Rest at Night” into the 1980s. KSKY radio, one of Dallas' first radio stations, broadcast from 1941 to 1982 "atop beautiful Hotel Stoneleigh overlooking downtown Dallas."

Dallas Realtor, Leo F. Corrigan bought The Stoneleigh-Maple Terrace in 1943.
In May 1952, the Maple Terrace grounds were updated with the opening of a new and elite private swimming club for city residents and hotel guests.
Margo Jones, an innovator and visionary of the American regional theater movement, was among the hotels’ artistic residents from 1948 to 1955.

1960s-Present:
The hotel was a favorite of celebrities starring in the Dallas Summer Musicals.
Isaac Tigrett, founder and owner of the Hard Rock Café, resided in the penthouse from 1986 to 1988 and frequently entertained a roster of rock ‘n roll legends there while opening the Dallas location. The penthouse became a popular event space and hosted The Dallas Press Club meetings for many years. The Stoneleigh Hotel became a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Hotels of America and a member of Preferred Hotels of America.