The present hotel, on 2600 acres, is an expanded and renovated version of Taggart's hotel. Taggart always had a very modern hotel. A 1929 Christmas menu features barbequed opossum with southern candied yams and ice cream. In 1907, he hired Scotsman Thomas Bendelow to build the 18-hole Valley Golf Link course. Six years later, he hired another Scotsman, Donald Ross, to design the championship Hill course two miles south of French Lick.
Golf is our strongest attraction.
It's Barnett's opinion that French Lick survived because it was Democratic and had lower rates, whereas West Baden attracted Republicans. His business came to a screeching halt. Taggart managed to have the wherewithal to hold the thing together. Between 1954 and 1979, the property had several owners, including the Sheraton Hotel chain. In attempting to modernize it, they covered the front windows with wood, thereby blocking out sunlight, painted the brass white and hid the tile floors in the lobby under a carpet.