In 1907, one year after the San Francisco earthquake, the block between El Dorado and Hunter was selected from among three choices.  At the time, the block was known to some as the "Cowell block" and "Weber's hole" to others.  In the mid-1800s it had been the site of the Weber Baths, known for 88° water originating from the Courthouse gas well.  The proposal for the Hotel Stockton was grand: a six-storey edifice, to be designed by architect Edgar Brown.  The initial budget was about $350,000: $125,000 for the site, $200,000 for the building, and $25,000 for furnishings.  Funds were raised by public subscription, with the promise of a 6% return to the citizens who invested.  Within a month, nearly $300,000 was raised. 

The flood of 1907 threatened to dampen local enthusiasm for the project, but initial pessimistic predictions were proven wrong when the flood was seemingly forgotten within a month.  That same year, because of the positive fundraising response and an optimistic public, the budget was increased to allow for a truly first-class hotel. Construction began shortly thereafter.

The work was beset by various trials and tribulations.  Water below the site's surface was the first challenge, and it necessitated deep wood piles. Fortunately for us today the pile caps were made so thick (nearly ten feet of concrete) that the wood stayed wet and tests have shown that it remains in great condition after almost 100 years.  Later challenges revolved around the original contractor who, though he did good work, went belly up.  The financial mess that emerged out of the contractor's default left nearly $10,000 in unspent money for creditors and resulting in numerous lawsuits.  Nevertheless, construction was completed and the hotel did open in 1910. Don Porter was the first lessor and manager, and it was he who started refering to the hotel as "The Stockton."

Historical Facts and Trivia

• Soon after it opened, The Stockton served as the location for Stockton's City Hall. The city rented the high ceiling areas of the second floor for everything from the police department to the mayor's office.  The city paid $15 per room, per month and occupied the space until 1926.
• Some of the features of the building designed by Architect Brown:
  • Concrete structure that was fireproof, the first such building in Stockton, and perhaps the Central Valley.
  • Parts of the building were reported to be conditioned with refrigerated air, and had an central vacuum system for room cleaning, with vacuum pumps in the basement and piping throughout.
  • Rooms had private telephones, hot and cold water, steam heat, and private lavatories. There was a large ballroom on the top, and a 100 ft x 100 ft garden with tropical plants, a fountain, and overlooking the Stockton Deep Water Channel.
  • The ground floor was used for individual shops, the grand lobby, as well as the famous men's grill.
  • The exterior was Mission Revival.  The total building was over 145,000 square feet.
• In 1949 director Robert Rossen used The Stockton (as well as Stockton residents as extras) for the film All the King's Men. The film won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1950.
• Various upgrades were done in the post-WWII period, including extending the elevator to the sixth floor.  During the 1950s the roof garden was covered with roll roofing, street lights were added to the colonnade roof, and broadcast antennas were mounted on the roof for a radio station tenant.
• The building closed to hotel guests in 1960, and offices run by San Joaquin County moved in.  The bar and restaurant closed a few years later. 
• In 1981 the building was declared of national istoric significance and listed on the National Register of Historical Places.  Ten years later, the County left and the building sat empty until the renovation project began in 2002.

Historical Timeline   ||   Historical Photos