The local chamber of commerce, seeking to meet the needs of the motoring public along the National Road, funded this ten-story hotel by selling stock to those who had previously hosted travelers in their homes—the city's women. New York City architect William Lee Stoddart (1869–1940), who specialized in hotels, banks, and federal buildings, chose a tripartite base, shaft, and capital formula for this high-rise structure, which has limestone trim highlighting the maroon-colored brick. The murals (1935) in the Pioneer Grill, by Washington County resident Malcolm S. Parcell (1896–1987), depict travel on the old National Road. Across the street, Citizen's Bank of c. 1930 at 40 S. Main Street is a white marble–faced bank inspired by classical forms.