Threefoot Hotel

A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

 

Welcome to the Threefoot Hotel, a historic restoration of the 1929 Art Deco Threefoot Building in downtown Meridian!  This building was built by the Threefoot family of German Jewish heritage, who migrated to the area in the late 1800’s.  Abraham Driefuss, along with his little sister Rachel, had come to America in 1848 by way of Ellis Island, after the death of their parents.  They came to live with their older brother Michael, who was already living in Mobile, AL.  When Michael came to America, he knew Driefuss wasn’t a common name, so he changed it to Threefoot, the German translation of Driefuss. 

 

After Abraham’s passing, his sons Kutcher and HM continued the family’s grocery business. In 1929, their sons Sam, LM, and Louis Threefoot opened the 16 story “Art Deco” Threefoot building office complex, designed by Jackson, MS architect Claude H. Lindsley.  Adorned with Art Deco mosaic exterior tiles along with Art Deco interior designs, the Threefoot Building was the tallest building in MS and remains the tallest in East Mississippi, today. 

 

Shortly after the building’s completion, the Great Depression and collapse of the stock market sent the Threefoot family into bankruptcy, and the Threefoot Building never reached its full potential.  After a change in ownership, the building was home to professional offices for Meridian attorneys, doctors, dentists and the like.  By the 1990’s, the building became vacant and the once shining light of downtown went dark with her future in limbo.  Area residents knew of her historical significance and set out to preserve it in the mid 2000’s by establishing the Threefoot Historical Society.  After all, it had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated a MS historical landmark three decades later. 

 

 

 

In 2007, the City of Meridian conducted a feasibility study to help preserve the building.  Mayor John Robert Smith sought out a developer to transform ‘The Jewel of the South’ into a thriving hotel to support the convention efforts of the MSU Riley Center located next door in the restored Marks Rothenberg Building and the Grand Opera House of Mississippi.  The project would be another catalyst for downtown improvement.  Despite Smith’s proactive efforts, the project was tabled until 2015 when Mayor Percy Bland approached hotel developers John Tampa and Nash Patel with Ascent Hospitality on resurrecting the Threefoot Building.  These men had a passion for historic preservation, having renovated multiple historic buildings into hotels in Montgomery and Birmingham.  On a napkin over dinner, a deal was done with Mayor Bland and the city selling the building for $10,000, with the stipulation that it MUST be a hotel.

 

After a lengthy complete remodel, the Threefoot Building has been transformed into the Threefoot Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.  Her “Art Deco” mosaic work remains a focal point of the exterior.  Many of her interior features were preserved including the marble wainscoting, flooring, mail shoot, and the original art deco light fixtures of the elevator lobby. Ornate brass etched elevator doors, original transom windows, restored wood doors and original hardware are still being used throughout the hotel.  Newly installed sidewalks are accented with brick paver inlays from the original brick streets of downtown Meridian.  The art deco theme continues throughout the hotel.  Guests will relish the feel of the 1929 experience but won’t miss out on any modern-day luxuries the hotel offers. The Threefoot has 131 rooms, including 110 luxury guest rooms, 19 suites, and two presidential suites with balconies.  The rooms boast modern style, art-deco accents, and thoughtful amenities.

 

The restaurant, 6:01 Local, continues the art deco styling.  Open for breakfast and dinner, this restaurant features sophisticated southern cuisine.  The rooftop bar, Boxcar, pays tribute to Meridian’s railroad history.  Located on the 11th floor, Boxcar will be open nightly serving a seasonal variety of shareable plates, flatbreads, domestic and craft beer and custom cocktails.  Seating is available inside, however guests will want to relax and lounge on the rooftop deck in comfy seating and enjoy the incredible views of the city.  If you’re traveling for business or pleasure, or want to celebrate a special event, you are invited to experience the “Golden Age of Travel” at The Threefoot Hotel Meridian.

 

Threefoot Hotel
601 22nd Ave., Meridian, MS