Last updated: May 24, 2024
Place
St. Francis Hotel
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Nicodemus Kansas
Significance:
Historic building and residence
Designation:
National Historic Site
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Switzer Family
The Saint Francis Hotel and private Switzer Family residence was used for a variety of purposes throughout Nicodemus history. The original owners were Zachary and Jenny Fletcher. The two bedroom hotel was also used as the first post office, schoolhouse, general store and stagecoach station. Later the hotel was used by the Switzer family as a family residence.
Kansas prairies lack an easily accessible source of wood for building which led to the hotel being made of limestone bricks. These limestone bricks can viewed on the west side of the structure where the stucco has fallen away. Each brick is over twenty pounds and had to be hauled from quarries twenty miles away in Stockton, Kansas.
Former Green Bay Packers player Veryl Switizer was raised in the residence in 1930s and 40s. Veryl later became community leader in preserving Nicodemus' historic buildings like the one he grew up in. Ora Switzer (1902-2009), who is considered the matriarch of Nicodemus, lived and raised her family in the this building. Today many Nicodemus residents remember Ora telling stories of her visiting dugouts as a young girl and watching the Nicodemus baseball team, the Nicodemus Blues.
Kansas prairies lack an easily accessible source of wood for building which led to the hotel being made of limestone bricks. These limestone bricks can viewed on the west side of the structure where the stucco has fallen away. Each brick is over twenty pounds and had to be hauled from quarries twenty miles away in Stockton, Kansas.
Former Green Bay Packers player Veryl Switizer was raised in the residence in 1930s and 40s. Veryl later became community leader in preserving Nicodemus' historic buildings like the one he grew up in. Ora Switzer (1902-2009), who is considered the matriarch of Nicodemus, lived and raised her family in the this building. Today many Nicodemus residents remember Ora telling stories of her visiting dugouts as a young girl and watching the Nicodemus baseball team, the Nicodemus Blues.