Theresa Towers

Theresa Towers

The Theresa Towers, formerly the Hotel Theresa, is one of the most distinguished buildings in all of Harlem. The Hotel opened in 1913 and immediately became the tallest building in Harlem. It retained that title until 1973 when the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building was constructed. Initially, the Hotel Theresa only accepted white guests with few exceptions for wealthy black celebrities. However, this policy changed in the 40’s when the hotel came under new management and began to accept a predominantly black clientele. The hotel capitalized on its policy and soon became the primary hotel destination for prominent African Americans. Sugar Ray Robinson, Duke Ellington, Muhammad Ali, Dinah Jimi Hendrix, and Ray Charles all stayed at the hotel for periods of time. It became known as the “Waldorf of Harlem.” The hotel is perhaps most famous for housing Fidel Castro and his entourage during the young Cuban’s trip to New York. In addition, Malcolm X held many meetings here for the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The progress of the Civil Rights Movement actually ended up hurting the business of the hotel. As more hotels around town opened up to African-Americans, the Theresa lost much of its core clientele, and was forced to close in 1967. The building was converted into offices in 1971.