SPOKANE, Wash. — There are countless curious images painted and carved onto the walls of Spokane's Davenport Hotel.
They've been here since the place was built in 1914.
But it wasn't until a 2002 multi-million dollar rebuild that something strange, and kind of sweet, was uncovered: four familiar words hidden in all those details.
Davenport’s director of marketing Matt Jensen helped us take a closer look at the romantic riddle written on the walls on the mezzanine level of the hotel.
"The entire building is actually made of steel and concrete, so overlaid over that is plaster. And on that plaster, they've actually faux finished the look of wood grain. So when our owners, Walt and Karen Worthy, bought the hotel in 2000, their workers were up here looking and they discovered there were words written in the grain of the wood."
Once you know where to look, it’s obvious. Along about 30 feet of a hallway, up above the doors, are the words “Will” “You” “Marry” and “Me” concealed in the painted faux wood grain.
Whoever painted the proposal, and the story behind it, remains a mystery. Jensen assumes the answer was yes, because of the happy face in the plaster over the “Me” part of the proposal.
The place where the words are hidden is now a popular place to pop the question. You can find them on the left side of the hallway leading to the Hall of Doges, a reproduction of a Venetian palace which is also spectacularly romantic.
"It kind of takes the pressure off the guy, or the gal, or whoever's proposing. Because the message is right there."
So if you're feeling nervous about saying those four little words just come to the Davenport, and read the writing on the wall.
Davenport Hotel | 10 S. Post St, Spokane, WA 99201 | (509) 455-8888
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