Roanoke was a thriving frontier town in 1886 when the Rock Hotel was constructed and housed a saloon with brothel upstairs. Even after the most recent owner donated the building to the City with the understanding that it be restored, considerable effort was required by the City leadership and concerned citizens to rally sufficient support to fund the $800,000 restoration project. With no clear intended use for the space, RGA was selected to develop a plan to fully restore the exterior of the building and provide much needed multipurpose areas inside. RGA Architects began documenting the existing structure in December 2006. The project broke ground in May 2007 and was completed in November 2007, after overcoming several significant unforeseen challenges. The original mortar used on the structure had almost entirely eroded. Using historic methods of mortar mixing, along with the stone masons’ experience, the three remaining walls were re-pointed. The front wall was completely disassembled after numbering each stone, and reassembled. The east wall was entirely reconstructed using the rediscovered stones along with additional indigenous stone.

• Industry

  Civic and Cultural

• Location

  Roanoke, TX

• Area

  2,000

• Client

  City of Roanoke