The Kent Hotel is one of three remaining Victorian-era hotels in North Carlton. The Kent was first licensed to Charles Smart, a builder, in June 1873 and it was a popular place for meetings and community activities. The familiar art deco façade was added in the 20th century, but the hotel went through a rough patch in the 1950s and 1960s. Local businesses and residents bore the brunt of the unruly behaviour of drunken patrons leaving the hotel. The Kent was shaken to its foundations in September 1973, when a military hand grenade was thrown at the south wall along Curtain Street. The hotel wall and parked cars were damaged and two hotel patrons, who happened to be standing outside, were injured by shrapnel. Forensic examination of the crime scene revealed that, had the grenade been fully primed, there would have been surface damage within a 600 metre radius and fatalities within a 30 metre radius. With the advent of gentrification, the Kent has left its shady past behind and now attracts a different class of patron. The glass-panelled, bifold doors, installed in the early 21st century, have opened up the hotel floor space for al fresco drinking and dining.
by cchg on Sept. 27, 2018Please login to comment on this item