in Downtow Senatobia, MS in 1858, making it perhaps the oldest building in Senatobia. Dr. French and his wife owned and operated the hotel until his son, Jesse French, took over in 1912. Dr. French practiced medicine in Senatobia until 1903, and was awarded a gold medal in 1878 for services rendered during the town’s epidemic of yellow fever, at which point he expanded the property. The Tate County Courthouse and other historic downtown buildings borrowed their Italianate and Romanesque architectural styling from the French Hotel. According to A History of Tate County, “General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his party of about fifteen hundred men camped in Senatobia in pursuit of the Yankees. It is believed that he slept in the old red brick hotel, later known as the French Hotel” (Carpenter, 13). Dr. French kept a hand-written description of his inventory lost during the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Federal raids of Senatobia in the original ledger book, thus providing the first known account of the existence of these raids. “The French Hotel was well known throughout this area. The beautiful furnishings, handsome velvet draperies, and luxurious carpets made it a show place as well as an inviting place to visit” (Carpenter, 44). The French Hotel, though still standing, is in dire need of structural improvement. The original portion of the property is essentially without a roof, and much of the rest of the building is decaying from years of exposure to the elements. The family who owns the property is currently discussing demolition, and there is a small, yet dedicated coalition that seeks to turn this property into a premier destination unrivaled in the rest of the region.
