The first Inglewood Hotel, was constructed on this site in 1875 for Messrs Langley Bros, with the builder being Mr Dan Berry - at this time Inglewood was a mere clearing in the forest. This hotel was removed from the site in early 1905, and re-erected a little further down Kelly Street, near the intersection with Cutfield Street; following relocation it was renovated, and reopened as a bakery.
The old hotel was finally demolished in 1917 to enable the construction of a large garage for Newton King (also since demolished); however, the timber was reported to have been as sound as the day the hotel was constructed, and at least some of the timber was obtained by Mr G. Hobbs to be again reused for the construction of a woolshed; the rest was auctioned onsite by Newton King.
Following removal of the old hotel in January 1905, construction of the new hotel was commenced by contactors Russell and Bignell, according to the plans of Whanganui architect Alfred Atkins, who had previously called for tenders for the building in November 1904. During construction, a temporary bar was set up in the nearby sample rooms.
On 1 July 1905 it was reported that the new hotel was almost complete, with the paperhangers expected to finish in about a week, and the hotel expected to open for guests soon after. The hotel eventually opened in July 1905, having been taken over by Mrs Kennedy from Wellington. Originally the hotel was constructed with a full-height veranda, although this has since been removed.
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