Wainwright Hotel

The History of the Wainwright Hotel

The Wainwright Hotel, moved from nearby Denwood to Wainwright, Alberta in 1908, was the focal point of the town’s social activities, much as its Heritage Park replica is today. New settlers, farmers in town for the evening, itinerant doctors and theatre troupes all stayed at the hotel, whose elegant décor and furnishings were a striking improvement over the typical rustic prairie hotel.

Owner Martin Forster, who would later act as Wainwright’s mayor, expanded the hotel in 1909 to 55 rooms with a grand veranda, and installed telephones in every room a year later. In August 1929, fire destroyed most of Wainwright’s business district, including the hotel, but Heritage Park built its own replica in 1968, based on photographs and the personal recollections of the Forster family.