The hotel was built in 1913 by the Kern County Land Company as lodging for prospective buyers at the Shafter Townsite.

In 1938, the Hitchcocks rotated the hotel 90 degrees to face James Street.

After Herndon's death, Marion leased the hotel as a residence until donating it to the city in 1961.

[2] The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1989.

This article about a property in Kern County, California on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.