Hotel Lincoln opened on North Bowman Street, directly across the the street from a newly opened steel mill on the north side of Mansfield in 1919. According to an extensively researched article by Timothy Brian McKee on the Richland County Historical Society’s website, the original owner was a Greek immigrant. In 1924, Ernest L. Smith, who was African American, purchased the hotel and operated it until he died in 1961. Throughout that period, Hotel Lincoln was the only hotel in Mansfield that accepted Black guests.
Green Book Details
Hotel Lincoln appears in the Green Book from 1946 to 1961 at 757 N. Bowman St. in Mansfield under the category Hotels.
Resources
- McKee, Timothy Brian. “Hotel Lincoln and the Green Book in Mansfield: 1924-1961.” Richland County History. richlandcountyhistory.com/2020/07/11/hotel-lincoln-and-the-green-book-in-mansfield-1924-1961/