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Reliving history

Collection 04 · 04-26

The Atlantic Hotel (04-26)

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Watercolor painting of the Atlantic Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, in 1911, showing the historic wooden hotel, elevated porches, American flag, and sandy beachfront.

Historical narrative

Opened on July 4, 1875, the Atlantic Hotel is one of Ocean City's most historic hotels, helping launch the town's tourism industry. Built by the Atlantic Hotel Company to accommodate 400 guests, the massive four-story wooden structure stretched from Baltimore Avenue to the Boardwalk, attracting the region's elite. Its grand porches sat so high above the sand that local lore claimed a team of horses could be driven beneath them. A catastrophic fire destroyed the original building on December 29, 1925, but it was quickly rebuilt in time for the 1926 season. Today, that historic 1926 structure still stands on the Boardwalk, serving as a lasting link to Ocean City's 19th-century origins.

Watercolor