Hough's Hotel

Front inscription

Hough’s Hotel, a two-story, 16-room hotel for African Americans, opened at this site in 1946. Established at a time when Black lodgers often struggled to find safe and convenient accommodations, the hotel was a valuable resource for travelers passing through Hartsville, many along U.S. Highway 15. It was opened and originally operated by Frank Hough (1888-1954), a former farm laborer who grew up west of Hartsville in a rural section of neighboring Lee County.

Reverse inscription

In addition to lodging, Hough’s Hotel also included a grocery store and restaurant patronized by guests and local residents alike. Upon Frank Hough’s death, his wife Tera, son Theodore (“Doc”), and immediate family members ran the hotel. A well-known local institution, Hough’s Hotel stayed in business several deades for before closing c.1989. The hotel building, which featured white siding and striped awnings, remains but has been significantly altered.