Callaghan Apartments

Callaghan Apartments is a historic lodging property in Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Also known as the Plaza Apartments and Hotel and the Plaza Hotel, the building was erected in 1918 to serve visitors attracted to Thermopolis's Big Spring, a hot spring whose mineral waters were historically promoted for their therapeutic and restorative qualities. It was one of several hotels operating in the area during the early twentieth century, when bathing and health tourism formed an important part of the local visitor economy. The property was developed by James Callaghan, a bricklayer who secured a 98-year lease on the site beginning January 1, 1918. Callaghan constructed a kiln on the property and manufactured the bricks used in the building. Construction was completed in June of that year. The resulting structure was a two-story yellow-brick building overlooking the Big Horn River. Its original plan was U-shaped, with the open side facing east, and it initially contained approximately 70 rooms. Early guest facilities reflected the standards of the period: bathrooms were shared and located at the ends of the corridors, while mineral water was supplied for bathing. The building also incorporated a substantial spa function. Its bathing area was divided into men's and women's sections and included soaking tubs and a steam sauna. Water from the Big Spring, reported at approximately 127 degrees Fahrenheit, was brought into the bathing facilities through a circulation system that passed beneath the Big Horn River. The arrangement allowed the hot spring water to be tempered for practical bathing while preserving the property's connection to Thermopolis's thermal-water tourism. Callaghan sold the property in 1921 to Dr. P. W. Metz, who renamed it The Plaza. The change in ownership and name placed the building within the continuing hotel history of Thermopolis rather than ending its lodging role. Over time, the property became associated with several names, including Plaza Apartments and Hotel and Plaza Hotel, while its original Callaghan Apartments name remained important for historical identification. Architecturally, the building is distinguished by its yellow-brick walls, red-brick soldier courses, decorative brick arches, and two-story window bays outlined with red brick. The central portion rests on a concrete foundation, while the wings use stone foundations. The interior was organized into 14 hallways, each with access to a bath, reflecting later improvements from the original shared-bathroom arrangement. Its setting beside the Big Horn River and within Hot Springs State Park contributes to both its architectural and tourism significance. The Callaghan Apartments was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. A renovation followed in 1999, and the property remains associated with hotel use. It is therefore best understood not as a modern consumer brand with a broad market or product portfolio, but as a historically significant lodging property whose names, services, and physical character developed alongside Thermopolis's hot-springs tourism industry.

The Callaghan Apartments was erected in 1918 in Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, Wyoming, during a period when the community attracted visitors to the Big Spring and its mineral waters. The spring was widely regarded as having curative properties, and hotels in the park served tourists seeking bathing, health, and leisure experiences. The building was one of six hotels historically associated with this visitor economy. James Callaghan, a bricklayer, obtained a 98-year lease for the site beginning January 1, 1918. Rather than relying entirely on outside materials, he built a kiln on the property and produced the bricks used in construction. The two-story building was completed in June 1918. Its yellow-brick exterior, red-brick detailing, decorative arches, and prominent window bays gave it a distinctive appearance overlooking the Big Horn River. The original building contained about 70 rooms. Guest bathrooms were initially communal, located at the ends of the halls, and mineral water was available for bathing. Callaghan also operated a spa area with separate men's and women's sections, soaking tubs, and a steam sauna. Big Spring water, described as reaching about 127 degrees Fahrenheit, was routed through a loop beneath the Big Horn River so that it could be moderated for bathing use. The property reportedly employed nurses and a masseur, indicating that its services extended beyond ordinary overnight accommodation and were tied to the era's therapeutic-tourism culture. In 1921, Callaghan sold the property to Dr. P. W. Metz. Metz renamed it The Plaza, and the building subsequently became known by several related names, including Plaza Apartments and Hotel and Plaza Hotel. These changing names reflect the property's evolving commercial identity while its role as a lodging establishment continued. The building's U-shaped plan faces east. A concrete foundation supports the central portion, while the wings rest on stone foundations. Red-brick soldier courses cap and accent the exterior walls, and two-story window bays are framed with matching brickwork and decorative arches. The interior was later organized into 14 hallways, each with a bath, representing a more developed arrangement than the original shared facilities. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, recognizing its historic and architectural importance. It underwent renovation in 1999 and remains a hotel. The Callaghan Apartments is consequently significant both as an early twentieth-century building and as evidence of Thermopolis's hot-springs tourism infrastructure. Its historical identity is linked to the original Callaghan name, while its later operational identity is most closely associated with the Plaza name.

• 1999

  Renovation

  [1]Callaghan Apartmentsen.wikipedia.org

  The property underwent renovation and continued in hotel use.

• 1993

  National Register listing

  [1]Callaghan Apartmentsen.wikipedia.org

  The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1921

  Sale and renaming as The Plaza

  [1]Callaghan Apartmentsen.wikipedia.org

  Callaghan sold the property to Dr. P. W. Metz, who renamed it The Plaza.

• 1918

  Construction begins and the property opens

  [1]Callaghan Apartmentsen.wikipedia.org

  James Callaghan developed the building under a 98-year lease beginning January 1, 1918. He produced bricks on site using a kiln he constructed, and the Callaghan Apartments was completed in June.

Historic lodging connected to Thermopolis's hot-springs tourism, with architectural significance and former mineral-water spa facilities.

• Accommodation · 1918

  Hotel rooms

  The building originally provided approximately 70 rooms for visitors to Thermopolis and Hot Springs State Park. Early accommodation included shared bathrooms at the ends of the halls; later alterations organized the property into 14 hallways, each with a bath. The lodging function has remained central to the property's identity despite changes in name and ownership.

• Spa and bathing · 1918

  Mineral-water bathing facilities

  The historic property included a spa area divided into men's and women's sections, with soaking tubs and a steam sauna. Water from the Big Spring, reported at approximately 127 degrees Fahrenheit, was circulated beneath the Big Horn River to temper it for bathing. The facilities reflected the period's health-tourism and therapeutic-bathing culture.

1. 1Callaghan Apartmentsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2National Register of Historic Places database photographs: Plaza Hotelnpgallery.nps.gov
3. 3Callaghan (Plaza) Apartments and Hotelwyoshpo.wyo.gov