Magnolia Hotel shows up with new iconic balcony

(Seguin) — The facade of one of Seguin’s most popular historic landmarks has returned  into its historic glory.

The Magnolia Hotel’s iconic front balcony has been fully restored — offering a look that has not been seen in nearly a century.

The project marks another milestone in the years-long effort to preserve the historic hotel, which once earned the nickname “The Queen of Seguin.”

The balcony overlooked downtown Seguin for decades before it was removed sometime during the 1930s. Over the years, the Magnolia fell into disrepair and sat vacant for nearly 20 years before being placed on the Texas Historical Commission’s list of the state’s Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in 2012.

Since then, owners Erin and Jim Wallace have worked to restore the hotel room by room while preserving its historic character.

Erin Wallace says restoring the balcony had been part of the couple’s vision from the first day they purchased the property.

“Because we are preservationists, we like to bring back the history that time had taken away from it. For the hotel to be whole, it needed to have its balcony. It wasn’t really for the beauty, although it did add that. It was mostly for restoring what it had lost. It made the whole Magnolia whole again.”

Wallace says the restored balcony allows visitors to “experience the hotel much as travelers would have during the 1800s, when stagecoaches stopped in front of the building and Governor John Ireland delivered a speech from the balcony.”

To ensure its architectural integrity, the Wallaces relied on the smallest of details.

“We had the old photos, the sanborn maps and the archives. Jim wanted it to be incredibly accurate. The spindles were the toughest part because they had to be custom made, but we wanted everything to match what had originally been there.”

The project also received assistance through the City of Seguin’s Main Street “Fix-It” Façade Grant Program, which supports the preservation of historic downtown buildings.

Wallace says completing the balcony gives the couple a sense of fulfillment, knowing they have helped preserve an important piece of Seguin’s history for future generations.

“We don’t forever own this building. We’re just the next caretaker to this historic building. We feel like we gave back what it had lost. We brought back history, and we feel like we did our job.”

Wallace says she hopes people who pass by the Magnolia Hotel take a moment “to imagine what downtown Seguin looked like more than 170 years ago.” She says as for now, the queen of Seguin “has its crown.”

The Magnolia Hotel also known as the Haunted Magnolia Hotel is located at 203 S. Crockett.