Baker Hotel (1929)
A 14-story Art Deco resort that put Mineral Wells on the map during the Jazz Age, when the town’s mineral springs drew celebrities from Will Rogers to Clark Gable. Vacant since 1972, it stood as a time capsule of North Texas resort grandeur before restoration work began in the 2020s.
At a glance
Designed by Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick and opened in January 1929, the Baker Hotel was the crowning amenity of a mineral water spa town at its commercial peak. With a ballroom, rooftop garden, and mineral water treatment baths, it drew four decades of guests before closing in 1972 and standing vacant for half a century. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; restoration under new ownership began after 2021.
Key facts
- Address: 200 E Hubbard Street, Mineral Wells, TX 76067
- Year opened: January 1929
- Architect: Wyatt C. Hedrick
- Height: 14 stories
- Original features: Ballroom, rooftop garden, mineral water baths, approximately 450 rooms
- Closed: 1972; restoration underway from 2021
- Designation: National Register of Historic Places
History
Mineral Wells had promoted its mineral springs since the 1880s, with health-seekers arriving by train to take the “crazy water” — local mineral water believed to alleviate a range of ailments. By the 1920s the town had become a regional spa resort of some note, and developer T.B. Baker commissioned Wyatt C. Hedrick — the Fort Worth architect responsible for numerous Texas banks, hotels, and public buildings — to design a flagship hotel befitting the town’s ambitions. The Baker opened in January 1929 with a main ballroom, rooftop terrace, and mineral water treatment facilities.
The hotel attracted guests who combined the cure with sociability: Will Rogers, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and the Three Stooges are among those documented as visitors. During World War II, Camp Wolters trained infantry replacements nearby; the Baker served as an unofficial social center for officers and visiting dignitaries. Business declined after the war as automobile culture shifted recreational patterns, and the hotel closed in 1972 without a successor occupant.
After decades of vacancy and partial deterioration, new ownership acquired the Baker after 2021 and began restoration work with the stated intent to reopen as a full-service hotel.
What you see
From Hubbard Street the Baker presents a flat Art Deco facade: brick-clad piers rise through fourteen stories with ornamental terra-cotta at the cornice and entry canopy. The stylistic vocabulary is restrained — the Texas regional Art Deco Hedrick practiced favored legibility over elaboration, with vertical emphasis doing most of the work. The street-level arcade set the entry rhythm for a building designed as much for promenade as for privacy.
The interiors, partially accessible during restoration, retain fragments of their original terrazzo floors, plaster cornice work, and ironwork railings. The main ballroom on an upper floor preserves its original mezzanine structure. The mineral water baths occupied a lower-level suite that is currently under assessment as part of the restoration program.
Practical information
- As of 2024-2025 the Baker Hotel is undergoing active restoration; public access varies during construction. Check current status directly with the management before visiting.
- Mineral Wells is a small town (population approximately 16,000); visitor services (restaurants, gas) are available in the downtown area.
- A personal vehicle is required for the final approach from any major city.
- Best visited as a day trip from Fort Worth or as part of a broader North Texas heritage itinerary.
Getting there
Mineral Wells is not served by intercity rail or scheduled commercial air service. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is approximately 65 miles east via US-20 and US-180. Fort Worth is the nearest city with Amtrak service (Texas Eagle route on the Chicago–San Antonio corridor), approximately 45 miles east. The drive from Fort Worth via US-180 takes approximately 50–60 minutes. Mineral Wells State Park is 3 miles south of the Baker Hotel; Possum Kingdom Lake is approximately 40 miles northwest.
Nearby
- Mineral Wells State Park — recreation area with lake and camping, 3 miles south
- Possum Kingdom Lake — reservoir with recreation facilities, approximately 40 miles northwest
- Fort Worth Cultural District — Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, approximately 45 miles east
- Palo Pinto County Courthouse (1940) — Art Deco courthouse in the county seat, approximately 12 miles west
Sources
- National Register of Historic Places nomination form, Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells
- Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas Online, “Baker Hotel” and “Mineral Wells, Texas”
- Hedrick, Wyatt C. Papers, University of Texas Libraries, Austin
- Dingus, Anne. “Crazy Hotel,” Texas Monthly, April 2003
- Dallas Morning News, restoration coverage 2021–2023
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