Atlanta's Ellis Hotel gains historic designation

An iconic Downtown Atlanta building is now a member of the Historic Hotel of America program.

What's happening: The Ellis Hotel is one of 11 Georgia places that are now included in the registry run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

• Other hotels that have been granted the designation include The Georgian Terrace, Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown and The Candler Hotel Atlanta.

Catch up quick: Located at the corner of Peachtree and Ellis streets, the building formerly known as the Winecoff Hotel opened in 1913 and was designed by architect William L. Stoddart, Atlanta Preservation Center Executive Director David Mitchell told Axios.

• The hotel is widely known for a Dec. 7, 1946 fire that killed 119 guests (including original owners William and Grace Winecoff) and injured 65, according to the AJC.
• In 2006, the hotel underwent a massive renovation that updated its floor plan while preserving its historic architecture.

Zoom out: More than 300 hotels around the country are part of the National Trust's program, which recognizes venues for their "authenticity, sense of place and architectural integrity," according to its website.

• A hotel can be nominated if it's at least 50 years old, has been designated by the U.S. interior secretary as a National Historic Landmark or is included in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

What they're saying: Scot Gladstone, manager of the Ellis Hotel, said Tuesday in a press release that the designation honors "the historic importance of the Ellis Hotel in Downtown Atlanta’s Peachtree District."