The sixty-three room Hotel Love was constructed in 1895 and opened for business in March of 1896. The Purcell Register, a territorial newspaper, reported that the building was "by far the finest hotel in the Chickasaw Nation and has but one equal in the territory ... one at Muskogee." The newspaper also called the Hotel Love, "The Pride of Purcell ... the building is superior to anything of its kind in the Indian Territory."
The Business Directory of Purcell I.T., dated November 1, 1900, stated, "The hotels ... of our city are quite a few in number and are well deserving of the great patronage they receive. Among those that might be given honorable mention are the Love, which is a brick building three stories high and combines all the modern conveniences of an up-to-date hotel ..." It had steam heat, electric lights, and rooms were $2 a night. It was once a favorite place for newlyweds to spend their honeymoon.
Of the many hotels constructed between 1887 and 1901, only the Hotel Love is in existence today. The Hotel Love was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
ANTIQUE SHOP
In February of 1982, Jerry and Elaine Butler purchased the old hotel building. At that time, the bottom floor was rented to several businesses including the drugstore owned by Mr. Butler. The upper two floors were closed off. The Butler's decided to store "a few pieces of glass" and other antiques and collectibles in one of the upstairs rooms. Glass shelves were placed in the windows of what was formerly the "ladies parlor" and pink and green depression glass was arranged on these shelves. Almost immediately people started coming into the drugstore downstairs inquiring, "How do I get to the antique shop upstairs?"
Since that very small beginning in 1986, more than a dozen rooms have been filled with various antiques and collectibles.