The Vance Hotel has been shuttered for more than 20 years in Statesville, North Carolina. Plans were announced in the summer of 2023 to revive the property as the “jewel of Downtown Statesville.”
Columbus Vance-Hinkel built the hotel in 1927 at the intersection of West Front and South Center Streets. When it opened, it had seventy-two rooms and even welcomed Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1962, who complained about the cheap bottle of complimentary whiskey he was given.
Through the years, many deaths occurred on the property, including the chief cashier of the Commercial National Bank, who shot himself in 1928 after learning that federal bank auditors were looking into the books.
Another death was accidental when a little girl drowned in the pool. Guests staying in the hotel reported seeing the girl standing in the hallways before disappearing, leaving a small puddle of water on the carpet.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Ghosts of the South
