The building was originally called the Plaza Hotel. It was built by
Michael Schlossberg, building began in 1925 and was completed in 1927. It
was a very classy place with mosaic floors, but unfortunately some of the
original architecture was damaged during hurricane Donna in 1960. There used to be arches on top of the building with large flower planters
around the roof top patio. There was two stained glass pyramid skylights at the hotel. Only one of the originals still
has the red glass still in it and it's located at the top of the interior staircase. In later years it became a Keswick
hotel.
Mr. Schlossberg built many buildings in Arcadia and in 1913 he started the first 5 and 10 cent store which operated for
over 60 years. Later it became Schlossberg's which was a ladies dress shop.
Some of the most popular residents of the hotel were cattle dealers who came to town and travelers who only had to walk
less than a block to the hotel. It also housed military families who were based out of Carlstrom and Dorrfield military
training bases.
It was said that they charged $1.00 a night for a single in 1930's. There was approximately 48 rooms with some only
having just a sink and some had a full bathroom. Some were two bedrooms called a Jack and Jill which is 2 rooms that
share the same bathroom and even a 3 bedroom. A few may have had a kitchen. There was also wash rooms that were later
turned into private bathrooms. It is thought there hasn't been any residents living in the hotel since 1987. The
Greystone apartments next door were living quarters for many of the hotel employees.
There have been various business over the years in the downstairs plaza. Some business were the G.P. Lamb realty company,
fun foolery, Palace barber shop, I.O.Eller Candy company and a appliance store.
The downstairs restaurant kitchen is original and was half the size of the now present one. The original managers
office is now the dish cleaning room. The present buffet area was once the main dining room. The present owners office
used to be part of the main lobby for check ins. It still has the original lights sconces, staircase, heater, radiator,
electrical and phone panels. The office holds the elevator which was last serviced in 1978. There is a small basement
that is considered the boiler room with a above ground kerosene tank that kept the boiler running. The Desoto
Restaurant has been a local favorite for many years and it's said that supposedly Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and
Harvey Firestone dined there while traveling through town.
- 8:00pm-6:00am
- Scott, Sprout, Lori, Toni, Tom and Craig
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Strange noises at 3am when owner is comes in to prep the kitchen.
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Shadows are seen in the corner of your eye especially in the kitchen which makes you do a double take.
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A black lady has been seen in the kitchen on several occasions and as recently as the first week in June 2009.
She has a very distinct walk with big hair which possible could be afro style. She is wearing a white kitchen apron
and it thought to be a past kitchen worker.
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An employee has walked into the far West dining area to see the Spirit of a cowboy sitting in there.
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It is said that an employee had seen the toilet paper unrolling by its self and the water faucet turned on by itself
in the lower woman's bathroom.
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Employee Billie-Jo said that the front door to the lobby will open up by itself for a few moments as if someone is
coming through.
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Billie-Jo said 6:30am to 7:00am Conversations are heard in the lobby and dining area.
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It is said that a psychic was dining and she heard a conversation coming through the speakers while everyone else
heard only music.
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We did a preliminary walk through of the whole building on 7/8/09 and since that day until our investigation the
employees report the following experiences.
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At closing time all employees were in the main lobby when they heard the back door alarm go off. The whole
restaurant was locked and when they checked, no one was at the backdoor.
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Waitress report of being in the wait station and hearing two men having a conversation at the closest table. When
looking around the wall to the table, no one was there.
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Employees have witnessed the office door off the main dining room, open slowly and then close as if someone just
walked through it.
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During our tour, Scott was standing in the area between the lobby and the dining room. He said he could hear a mans
voice talking but couldn't make out what was being said.
This is common to the location.
We had to return to the hotel a few weeks (7/15/09) after the investigation to disprove some strange sounds we captured on
our evidence. We found that as recent as 7/8/09 employees have continued to experience what would be considered
playful activity.
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They day began when stacks of white linens where continuously being flipped onto the floor in the waitress station.
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Later in the day Robin was working in the kitchen when she was notified that her box fan and scale were on the floor
in the middle of the hallway. She put them both back onto the counter and a very short time later, she found the box
fan on the floor again and the scale was pushed to the edge of the counter. Robin had enough of the pranks so she
said out loud "Go play with the linens again".
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That evening one of the waitresses had set all the tables with red linens. She folded them in a very common way in which
they stand up. Robin was called to the main dining room to see what the Spirits had done. Every single linen was
laid down on the plates.
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