Grand The Lady

AN OLD TOWN GEM HAS stories for every visitor

WORDS BY | Ava Free and all of a sudden the hen decided to lay an egg. Apparently the judge whipped out his gun and shot it and said

The owner of a unique housewares and lifestyle shop in Hotel Temecula is preserving a legacy of over 130 years. Known as the ‘Grand Lady’, the hotel’s rich and rooted history leaves you wondering; “if only these walls could talk”.

Porsche Poltl founded Ford & Elm in 2021 in hopes of creating a place for intentionally crafted collections and to encourage curiosity and prompt creativity. Located on Main St in Old Town Temecula, Ford & Elm occupies retail space in what used to be Hotel Temecula’s parlour and caretaker’s apartment.

Ford & Elm features practical, eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind products that meet a multitude of means, as guests can shop kitchen and dining, art and decor, gifting, gardening, and vintage goods. Poltl “invites you to stay a while and make yourself at home” while evoking warmth and curiosity in those who shop.

Having made every effort to preserve what once was within her space, Poltl has set up her products like a “concept shop”, giving life to the rooms and paying homage to the past.

In order to honour its heritage, Poltl installed faux walls to protect finer details such as the hotel’s wallpaper.

Adjacent to Ford & Elm is a local, family-owned winery in what was the hotel dining room. In between both businesses lies the original, preserved hotel lobby.

A hidden gem tucked between two functioning businesses, the lobby sits as if it’s awaiting its next guest. Beautifully untouched, the room includes a vintage royal garnet sofa, 1950s wallpaper, floral carpet, and the town’s original switchboard.

Hotel Temecula, “Hotel Welty” at the time, was built in 1883 by RJ and Mary Jane Welty with the purpose of serving and housing railroad workers and passengers of the Southern California Railway.

Visitors would often stop in for something to eat after getting off the train. Poltl recalls a story she was told about passengers who’d run out without paying their bills as the train was about to leave.

In 1924 the property was sold to Grace LeClare for $5000 USD, who kept it as an apartment house and hotel. LeClare owned and operated the hotel for roughly 35 years before California natives Horace and Leverne Parker took possession.

The Parkers, who lived near Newport Beach at the time, were frequent guests at Hotel Temecula when they visited. Mr. Parker insisted he be buried in the Temecula cemetery when he died, however state law required anyone who was buried to be a local property owner [1].

Therefore, in 1960 Parker purchased the hotel from LeClare and turned it into his family residence.

It is, in fact, recorded that Mrs. Welty was only 4 ‘11’’ tall.

In 1977 Parker passed away, and just as he wished, was buried at the Temecula Cemetery. Leverne stayed at the home until she died years later in 2004. The hotel was then passed on to their two daughters, Judy and Pat, who owned it for the following 10 years.

In 2014 the hotel’s story came close to ending. Retired attorney Richard Beck and his brother purchased the hotel and nearly everything in it from the Parker family, making him only the fourth owner in over 130 years [2]. However, a local real estate developer who wanted to demolish the estate had actually offered more than the brothers.

Hotel Temecula acted as a social epicentre for the town, leaving many feeling as though it was the heart and soul of its heritage. It was the fact that Beck had all intentions of preserving its history and character that led the Parkers to choose him over the developer.

Since the hotel had been a residence for over 60 years, Beck and his wife Christine Greer wanted to give it back to the community. Not long after their purchase, the couple turned the hotel into an Airbnb.

Guests were welcomed into both the up and down stairs spaces including king and queen rooms, a garden suite, the dining room, patio, and property grounds.

The backyard boasts of a beautiful green space, fruit trees, patio furniture, bean bag toss and more for visitors to enjoy.

The property grounds are only a continuation of the hotel’s history, as they are home to the original jail, outhouse, sheds, and chicken coop.

Just down the street from the hotel sits the town’s “historic jail”. With bars on the windows and doors, the chilling room is good for nothing but sitting. However, contrary to what most tourists and visitors think, the “historic jail” was no jail at all.

Poltl notes that it was actually the town’s cold house. Before electricity, the room acted as a refrigerator. Now, it’s simply a means to draw tourists into Old Town’s history.

During the pandemic Beck and Greer stopped listing the hotel on Airbnb, deciding it was too much work running it themselves.

Visitors are still able to enjoy bits and pieces of the hotel’s history through dedicated memoirs at the winery next door. Patrons are invited into the backyard to enjoy its space and ambiance.

Perched in the heart of Old Town, Hotel Temecula continues to be a gateway to the past. Stories passed down from generations to guests and patrons alike emphasise the significance of its history, and make you feel as though the walls are in fact talking.