The American House Hotel was the first building in Columbus constructed to be a hotel. It was built for owner Robert W. McCoy, on the former site of his dry goods store on the northwest corner of South High and State Streets, in 1836. Its location across High Street from the Statehouse guaranteed that politicians provided much of the patronage. Two Ohio Governors, Richard M. Bishop and Thomas L. Young, lived in the American House Hotel during their administrations. The Hotel faced High Street with a long porch and was three stories tall. Around 1850, a fourth story was added with a distinctive central dormer. Later the rear of the building was expanded using bricks salvaged from the Ohio State Lunatic Asylum located on East Broad Street after it was destroyed by fire in 1868. The American House Hotel was demolished sometime after the turn of the century and replaced by the S. S. Kresge Department Store, which later was replaced by the Vern Riffe State Office Tower.