Lorraine Motel Memphis, Tennessee

Timeline

c. 1925: Construction of the Windsor Hotel (later the Lorraine Motel), a whites-only establishment with 16 rooms
1945: Black businessman Walter Bailey and his wife Loree purchase the Marquette Hotel, renaming it the Lorraine, add second floor and drive-up access, and open it to black travelers
4 Apr 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis
9 Apr 1968: Death of Loree Bailey, co-owner of the Lorraine Motel, who had suffered a stroke when she heard the assassin's gunshot
1982: Walter Bailey declares bankruptcy and the Lorraine Motel becomes a brothel
1988: The Lorraine Motel closes permanently to guests after gaining historical recognition
Jul 1988: Death of Walter Bailey, former owner of the Lorraine Motel
1991: The Lorraine Motel is converted to the National Civil Rights Museum
Mar 2018: The Lorraine Motel becomes part of the National Parks Service's African American Civil Rights Network