Coronado Motel in Pueblo recognized for role in African American travel

The owners of the Coronado Motel in Pueblo don’t spend money on advertising. Instead, guests who stay at the lodge return, charmed by the historic Pueblo-style building.

Perhaps it’s the thick, adobe walls or the wood-beamed ceilings. Maybe it’s the bell tower or the life-sized bear carvings that draw them in. You can tell the owners love it by its whimsical touch. For example, little hints of colorful artwork appear throughout the motel, along with a mural painted on the courtyard’s back wall.

The motel might even look familiar, as it made a guest appearance in the 1983 cult classic “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” However, it holds a more important history—one that Colorado researchers are actively trying to preserve.

It wasn’t until March 2020 that the midcentury motel gained acceptance into the National Register of Historic Places. This achievement came after local historians worked diligently to uncover its story. Their goal was to highlight a history that has long gone ignored. Consequently, this effort is part of a larger movement from historians across the country to preserve historic spaces relevant to underrepresented communities.

Specifically, the Coronado served as a safe place for African American tourists to stay during a time when few establishments would welcome them. When it was first listed in 1957, the Coronado Lodge became just the second Colorado motel mentioned in “The Negro Motorist Green Book: 1957.” This was an annual guidebook essential for Black travelers during the era of segregation. The motel remained on the pages of African American travel guides for a decade and was one of only three Colorado motels listed through 1967.

Nomination

The idea to nominate the Coronado Lodge to the National Register began in a movie theater. Pueblo historian Corinne Koehler had settled into her seat to watch “Green Book,” a 2018 movie about a Black pianist traveling across the South during segregation. That is how she learned about the historic use of Black travel guides.

“Watching the movie, I’m kind of thinking, ‘Well that’s kind of interesting,’” Koehler said. “I never knew anything about the Green Book before, and I was kind of curious to see if there were any places in Colorado.”

So, she began her research. Using the New York Public Library’s online collections, Koehler sifted through digitized Green Books.

“Sure enough, there were places—quite a few as matter of fact—listed in Pueblo, so that got my interest,” she said.

Reference: The Negro Green Book

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