On September 5, 2024, Chamber member, The Kimpton Pittman Hotel hosted the LGBTQ+ Leadership Institute Announcement and Reception in its private room and patio located off of the American Tavern. The LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced its incoming class of 18 participants who will begin class in September and graduate in May 2025.

The Kimpton Pittman Hotel joined the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce earlier this year. General Manager, Jeffery Waddell, welcomed Chamber members, guests, and alumni. He gave guests a lesson by sharing some of the history of the building.

William Sidney Pittman — Texas’s first African-American architect, civil rights advocate and son-in-law of Booker T. Washington — designed the building as a temple for the fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias 1916. The structure hosted meetings, lectures and dances and housed the offices of black professionals.

In 1959, the Knights of Pythias Temple was sold to Union Bankers Insurance, which served the neighborhood for 30-plus years until it was abandoned. As an adaptive reuse project, Kimpton Pittman Hotel returns this landmark to its original Beaux Arts glory, carefully restoring interiors and exteriors while curating local art highlighting the building’s 1916 roots.

It was only fitting that the ribbon cutting took place in front of a wall made of reclaimed wood from the original building.

Waddell and Rick Ayala, Director of Catering, shared their interest in creating community with the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and our members. You can find more about the Kimpton Pittman Hotel and make reservations at https://www.pittmanhoteldallas.com/