A.B.C. Motel
Known Name(s)
A.B.C. Motel
Address
U. S. 212 Phillip, SD
Establishment Type(s)
Motel
Physical Status
Extant
Description
The 1956 map of Philip compiled by the Fire Underwriters Insurance Co. documents the existence of a hotel at the northeast corner of SD Hwy 14 and 73. A comparison of that building layout to current aerial images reveals that the east side of the building is extant, while the western wing has been replaced or expanded. The core of the building was built with concrete block, while the wings were built of wood-frame structures. The front portion has large display windows and an L-shaped canopy supported by metal posts.
Detailed History
Although the address listed in The Green Book locates the A.B.C Motel on US 212, US 212 does not go through Philip, SD. Instead, this hotel was probably located along US Highway 14, which was relocated in a large project in 1954-1955. A 1957 town history noted that the Robbins Motel opened in 1956 up on the new highway. Fred W. and Clara Robbins' obituaries document they were long-time owners of the A.B.C. Motel in Philip, making the Robbins Motel and the A.B.C. Motel one and the same. In about 1990, the building was remodeled for use at least in part as a bowling alley.
Sources: First Half Century, Philip, South Dakota, 1907-1957 (Pioneer Publishing House, 1957), 57-59; Rapid City Journal (SD), November 23, 1984; Obituary for Clara D. Robbins, Rush Funeral Home; Pioneer Review (Philip SD), January 10, 2013.
