The Baker Hotel: Mineral Wells, Texas—Not Colorado City—Closed Since 1963

Rise & Fall

• 1929–1940s: Peak popularity—celebrities (Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Lyndon Johnson), military officers, "water cure" patients. First hotel in Texas with a swimming pool.
• WWII: Leased as **Wolters Army Airfield** officer housing.
• Post-war decline: Automobile travel, antibiotics (replaced mineral therapy), changing tastes.
• 1963: **Closed permanently** after failed renovation attempts.
• 1970s–2000s: Vacant, deteriorating, asbestos, pigeons, urban explorers.

Current Status (2024)

• Owned by Lydon & Partners (2019 purchase: $650K).
• Restoration underway: Asbestos abatement complete; structural stabilization; window replacement; roof repair.
• Plan: Mixed-use—**165 hotel rooms, 65 apartments, event space, spa (Crazy Water revival), restaurant, museum**.
• Estimated cost: $50–60M. Seeking historic tax credits, Opportunity Zone funding.
• Target reopening: 2025–2026 (phased).

Why It Matters

The Baker is a **National Register of Historic Places** landmark and a symbol of Texas's "spa city" era. Its revival would anchor Mineral Wells' downtown renewal—population ~15,000, 50 mi west of Fort Worth.

Colorado City, TX** (Mitchell County) has its own history (oil, wind farms) but **no Baker Hotel**.