The Kahler Hotel, later known as the Damon Hotel, included Mayo Clinic services.
Written By:
Lee Hilgendorf | ×
The original 1907 Kahler Hotel was renamed the Damon Hotel in honor of Hattie Damon Mayo, wife of Dr. Willam J. Mayo. This block, photographed in 1944, is now the site of Mayo Clinic s Gonda Building. (Contributed photo from the History Center of Olmsted County)
John Kahler purchased the former home of Rochester department store magnate E. A. Knowlton at the corner of today’s First Avenue Southwest and West Center Street in Rochester. After remodeling the house, he opened the new, modern 60-room Kahler Hotel on May 4, 1907.