Henry Hotel has Happy Spirits

The old Henry Hotel still sits vacant at the corner of Baltimore and South Division Street in Ocean City, Maryland.  Most people would never notice this three story, 20-roomed hotel, covered with brown shingles across from Trimper’s Rides.  The entire hotel is about the size of most single family homes found in upscale Western Shore neighborhoods.  The Henry has been out of commission since its most recent owner, Pearl Bonner died in 2003.  Pearl was a legend in her own right, when as a single, African American woman raising three daughters she purchased the property in 1964.  For forty summers she ran the hotel, putting her daughters to work when they needed money for their college educations.  All of them are college graduates.

Pearl ran the hotel more as a rooming house for African American men who worked in Ocean City, rather than a vacation destination for black patrons looking to relax. Continue reading The Henry Colored Hotel – Still Rocking! →