Historic Tucker Hotel Begins New Chapter in Downtown Pleasant Hill
By Connie Whitlock
Publishing Editor
The Tucker Hotel on Cedar Street is starting a new chapter that combines preserving its history, bringing in new business, and continuing to serve the community in downtown Pleasant Hill.
Jarrod and Kristin Gravatt have partnered to restore and use the building, while letting the Lay Clergy food pantry stay there under a 10-year lease. This gives the nonprofit more time to serve the community and removes the worry of handling major repairs. Jarrod Gravatt said, “We’re really excited. Really appreciate the Lay Clergy, the leadership, the volunteers, and everything that makes this an amazing nonprofit here.”
The Tucker Hotel, once called the Tucker Inn, stands at 306 Cedar Street and has been a well-known part of downtown Pleasant Hill for years. Built around 1911, this brick building is part of the Pleasant Hill Downtown Historic District.
Many people in Pleasant Hill have personal memories tied to the building. For example, Harold Russell Neill Jr., who lived in Pleasant Hill all his life, was born there on September 19, 1941.
Now, over a hundred years after it was built, the building is taking on a new purpose. Jarrod Gravatt said they will start with fixing the outside, focusing on the parapets and the front wall, which has started to bend. Work inside will come later, and they might use the upstairs for offices or apartments in the future.
Gravatt said he and Kristin view this project as a way to give back to Pleasant Hill.
“We made this our home,” he said. “We love it here. We raise our family here. So really, giving back to our community, that’s the best thing.”
This project also allows the Lay Clergy food pantry to remain open for the next 10 years. The group also runs a thrift store and Meals on Wheels, and helps people with utility bills. Carla Arnold, president of the Lay Clergy and an executive pastor at HIS Church, called the deal “a real blessing,” saying the old building had become too costly for the nonprofit to maintain on its own.
For now, the food pantry will keep running as usual, but people will mostly use the side door in the alley. The 10-year lease gives the group time to plan ahead and keep helping local residents.
Kristin Gravatt’s real estate business, Integrity Group Real Estate, and Jarrod Gravatt’s roll-off business, Roll-Off Waste Solutions, will also use some of the space. Even though the Tucker probably won’t be a hotel again, everyone involved agrees that saving and rehabilitating the building is good for downtown.
The Tucker Hotel has played many roles in Pleasant Hill’s history. It has been a landmark, a hotel, a birthplace, and a place for community service. Thanks to this new partnership, it can keep its roots in the town’s past while still helping shape its future.