There is an unassuming brown house that sits on the corner of South Division and Baltimore Streets in Ocean City, Maryland. It may look old and discrete today, but this humble structure filled many significant roles as the primary lodging go-to for African Americans venturing to Ocean City during those bygone segregated times. I’m referring to the historic Henry Hotel. In this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m recounting the very storied history behind this unique building while also providing insight into what the future holds for its hopeful restoration.
The humble 20-room brown beach house that would go on to become the Henry Hotel was constructed circa 1895. Today, it stands out as one of only a select number of original 19th-century structures still comprising the downtown scene in Ocean City, Maryland.
In 1926, a local African American businessman from Berlin—Charles T. Henry and his wife, Louisa—acquired the building and its adjoining lot of land. They paid the modest sum of just $10 for both. This was at a time when strict segregation laws were in place. As a result, vacationing in Ocean City as a colored person came with regulations for when you could visit (on designated “Negro Excursion Days”) and where you could stay on your visit.
The pickings were all too slim, even for great Black entertainers of the day. Ironically, many were welcomed to lead shows and concert performances at the Boardwalk’s renowned Pier Ballroom yet were refused lodging at the majority of locations throughout town.
This is one of the many reasons why “Henry’s Colored Hotel,” as it was known then, was so revolutionary to Black history and heritage in the area. Furthermore, the family of proprietors went all out in providing the works in full services and facility catering. Clientele included everyday African American visitors and notable entertainers of the day alike. Some of the hotel’s most renowned overnight lodging guests included such greats as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Willie Harmon, among countless others.
After Charles T. Henry died in 1942, Louisa continued running things until 1951. That was when their son Charles Wesley Henry assumed operations of the hotel for some years. By the mid-1950s, Mrs. Pearl Bonner took charge of hotel management. She took on that role, overseeing operations for two mortgage holders throughout her tenure until 1973. Then, she became the property’s official owner herself. She paid $15,500 for the purchase, and it was under Bonner’s command that the hotel’s respected business reputation shined the brightest.
Bonner died in 2003, at which time the Henry’s ownership jointly passed to her two surviving daughters—Yvonne Camper and Carole Bright. The hotel, however, has not been in formal operation since the late 1990s. It’s even fallen into disarray and significant decline within the last few decades—a sad reality given how it was named as a notable African American Heritage Site on the Lower Eastern Shore on May 3, 2007.
The future is looking brighter, however, as folks have started to take notice of the community’s need for preserving this most significant historic housing, banding together to establish the Henry Hotel Foundation. The overall initiative is to restore the edifice to its former glory and reinvent new life for it as a museum and historic site, serving to educate, inform, and even engage visitors through interaction. So far, the Foundation has received a grant for $250,000 from the Maryland Historical Trust to get things underway, but more is needed for the ongoing work-in-progress, multi-phased, massive restorations at hand.
The goal is to begin groundbreaking work around September 2025. The first stage of the project will be focused on physical site repairs, including the much-needed replacement of existing windows, repairing the roof and siding, and other cosmetic and essential fixtures.
Once all that is squared away, the focus will shift to the establishment of a museum honoring the hotel’s overall heritage and history. Special emphasis will be placed on Mrs. Pearl Bonner for her very significant contributions.
The Henry Hotel restoration project is an all-hands-on-deck community effort that welcomes generous contributions from any and all interested persons willing to help out. If you would like to make a generous donation to the ongoing efforts, you may do so at the site link here. You may also scan the QR code on the bulletin outside of the hotel in person.
The Henry Hotel is located at 101 South Division Street, Ocean City, Maryland 21842. Learn more about its history, heritage, and hopeful future on the website at www.henryhotel.org.