BGE-38343 – Mohawk Motor Inn, Russell Street, 1963.

The popularity of “motor hotels,” better known as motels, began to grow during the Great Depression as frugal business travelers looked to save money by driving their own vehicles and avoiding costly established downtown hotels. The post-World War II boom in auto sales was accompanied by a similar increase in motel construction—by 1950, there were approximately 50,000 motels scattered across the country. Located on Russell Street, the Mohawk Motor Inn was particularly popular among local paint salesmen as it provided them with a central base from which to contact Baltimore’s many coating manufacturers.

(Take photo from the edge of the parking lot, looking north up Russell St.)