Lubbock's last pre-WWII high-rise, where a 1958 double murder on the fourth floor left a cold case and a lasting reputation
1200 Broadway St, Lubbock, TX 79401
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Standard hotel room rates; see website for current pricing
Access
Wheelchair OK
Urban downtown hotel with elevator access
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1925 · Pre-WWII Lubbock Architecture · 1958 Unsolved Double Murder · Downtown Lubbock Historic Building
The Pioneer Building opened in 1925 as a commercial and hotel property in what was then a rapidly growing South Plains city. At 11 stories, it represented significant ambition for Lubbock at the time and held that claim for decades. The structure has been repurposed repeatedly — at various points housing offices, apartments, and hospitality uses — but the bones of the original construction remain intact.
The fourth floor's documented history of deaths is the darkest chapter. According to reporting by the Texas Tech student newspaper, the Daily Toreador, the floor saw a string of unexplained or violent deaths during the mid-20th century. The most specific event on record is a 1958 homicide: an intruder entered a guest room and bound a Nebraska couple to their bedposts before the attack. The full details of the crime and its resolution are not fully established in available sources, and the case carries a cold-case characterization in local memory.
The building was later converted to mixed use. The third floor operates today as Pioneer Pocket Hotel, described as a boutique lodging option in downtown Lubbock's Broadway corridor, while upper floors contain condominiums. The downtown Lubbock business association documents the property as a significant piece of the city's built heritage.
Sources
The paranormal reputation of the Pioneer Building in Lubbock is concentrated on the fourth floor, consistent with the documented history of deaths there. Ghost Texas, a site covering Texas haunted locations, details the hotel's reputation and the specific lore associated with that floor: cold spots, unexplained footsteps, and a sense of an unseen presence in the hallways.
Beyond the fourth floor, guests in the upper residential levels have reported disturbances attributed to whatever energy the building accumulated over a century of occupancy. The Daily Toreador noted staff awareness of the ghost stories in 2016, treating them as established Lubbock folklore rather than novelty claims.
The hotel's current operators have not formally marketed paranormal access or offered investigation bookings, positioning it as a historic lodging destination rather than a haunted attraction. Guests who book expecting a vintage downtown hotel experience may find the history an unexpected addition to the stay.
Book a room in the Pioneer Pocket Hotel on the third floor of the 1925 Pioneer Building, one of Lubbock's last remaining pre-WWII high-rises. The fourth floor — site of documented deaths including an unsolved 1958 double murder — is residential condos above the hotel level.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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