As Amarillo, Texas, continues its revitalization ahead of a busy year for tourism, one historic hotel — and little-known feminist landmark — in the Lone Star State's wild west just secured its historical distinction.
The Barfield, Autograph Collection, which sits in Amarillo's first skyscraper built in 1927 by a pioneering businesswoman, received its designation as an official Texas Historic Site in August. The 112-room hotel opened in 2021 and is the only hotel owned by a Stephenville, Texas-based cattle ranching family.
The historical distinction, which took four years to come to fruition, comes at an opportune time for The Barfield as Amarillo is redefining itself as a destination ahead of next year's centennial celebration of Route 66.
"Next year alone is a huge year for us," said Kelsey Pratt, general manager at The Barfield and native Amarilloan. "There's just so much draw that has now made Amarillo not just a stopover point, but an actual destination."
Texas-based Coury Hospitality manages The Barfield and 40 other hotels across the country, with several located off Route 66.
Preserving an Amarillo icon's legacy
The hotel owes its existence in part to Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle, who moved to Amarillo in 1895 after the death of her first husband. Oliver-Eakle had an impressive amount of wealth — and wasn't afraid to show it. Pratt said she was known as a "peacock," flouting her fancy clothes and possessions around town, but was also a very generous philanthropist and businesswoman.
"Nobody wanted to do business with a woman, so she shortened her name from Melissa Dora to M.D. Oliver-Eakle, because on paper, you didn't know M.D. was a woman — could have been a man. So, that was her business strategy," Pratt said.
Oliver-Eakle moved to Amarillo in 1895 and purchased land, turning some into a residential area, and then in 1927, she opened the 10-story Oliver-Eakle Building, later renamed the Barfield Building, the first office skyscraper in downtown Amarillo.
"It was alive and functional into the '70s, [when] it closed down and it sat vacant downtown ... [for over] 40 years," Pratt said.
But The Barfield is just one part of Oliver-Eakle's contribution to Amarillo. She's credited with launching the first library in the town and funding the opera house.
"Part of our mission here is to ensure that M.D. Oliver's legacy is never forgotten," Pratt said. "She brought so much culture and progress during a time when it just wasn't prevalent in Amarillo and in the panhandle."
Many of the hotel's elements are nods to both The Barfield's role in Amarillo history and to Oliver-Eakle. The hotel, which was renovated in the years ahead of its 2021 opening, has a few areas with almost completely preserved design. The lobby — including the original elevator door — and the 10th floor hallway remain basically untouched.
"If M.D. were to walk into the building today — 100 years after she opened it — it would look the exact same as it did back in 1927," Pratt said.
Another thing she might recognize, though not completely historically preserved, is The Barfield's speakeasy.
"She was a prohibitionist. She was very outwardly against alcohol," Pratt said. "But she was a businesswoman, and she owned and operated a speakeasy in the very same location that we have our speakeasy."
Oliver-Eakle was known to always keep her derringer pistol on her — in case any of the Chicago Mob, which might take offense to her hypocritical prohibition views, confronted her. Visitors to The Barfield can find the Paramount Recreation Club speakeasy marked with two guns on the ground — the X marks the spot.
In addition to the speakeasy, The Barfield's food-and-beverage concepts also include Tuscana Italian Steakhouse and Patio Vista, a newer year-round outdoor concept that showcases downtown views.
A hotel ready for its next era
Despite its feminist origin, the design of the hotel is very masculine, with denim-inspired wallpaper, dark leather upholstering and, of course, guns on display.
"It's just such a masculine aesthetic," Pratt said. "The contradiction is not lost on me."
Especially since, she added, the hotel is now run by a team that's majority women.
"In a weird way, I feel very this weird kinship with her, I guess [it is] being a female GM and getting to run this amazing property and just continually tell her story," Pratt said.
Pratt grew up in Amarillo before attending college in upstate New York and then starting her hospitality career in New York City. She moved back to Texas a few years ago — first to Dallas, then back to her hometown when the opportunity at The Barfield came up. She said the city has benefitted from people like her who moved away then returned with new expertise.
"I think that's what has contributed to the growth and the progress in the city," she said. "You're seeing a lot of people that have left, and they're coming back, and they're drawing from their experiences from where they've been. ... There's a lot of people coming back home, because Amarillo has this crazy way of drawing you back in."
Pratt said the average length of stay for The Barfield is just 1 1/4 nights with a very short booking window. A lot of guests stop in on their drives to Colorado or New Mexico from East Texas. But, Pratt said, the typical visitor to Amarillo is changing.
Establishing Amarillo as a destination
What's happening in Amarillo can be equated to a perfect storm of activity for The Barfield. With Route 66's centennial on the horizon next year, Amarillo and its nearby attractions — such as the Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon system in the U.S., and Cadillac Ranch, a public art installation and sculpture garden featuring 12 nose-down painted cars — stand to benefit.
Taylor Sheridan, creator of the popular TV show "Yellowstone," purchased 6666 Ranch in 2021, and it's just a couple of hours south of Amarillo by car. Sheridan filmed some of last season's storyline in Amarillo and at The Barfield, Pratt said, and the hotel is making the most of "the Taylor Sheridan industry phenomenon" by offering its Ranch Hand Retreat Package, a two-night experience that includes horseback riding and a custom in-room private dining experience.
"It's actually $1,883 [referencing the show's prequel series "1883"], so kind of a nod to where it all began," Pratt said. "We really want you to come and live like a cowboy for a day or two."
The business in and around Amarillo has changed a lot too. Pratt said she remembers that when she was a kid, her dad, who worked downtown, had only a handful of eateries to venture out to on lunch breaks. The region, which attracts a lot of medical and agricultural business, has began to see an influx of traffic related to new data center development amid the rise of artificial intelligence.
"Growing up, Amarillo was not what it is today. The progress here has been instrumental, ... but you know, Amarillo, I think, is finally on the map," she said.