The Stark Hotel, as it was named from its opening in 1889, catered to increased traffic from a variety of new visitors to Greensburg. These visitors included "drummers" or traveling salesmen who arrived in town, rented a room, rented livery from one of the many livery stables in town, and went out into the surrounding communities to sell their wares to company stores, rural residents and door-to-door.

Hotels such as the Stark also benefited from Greensburg's growth as a cultural center. A number of "opera" houses, and theaters were built during this period creating additional demand for rooms for traveling troupes and theater patrons alike. The increased activity for the Westmoreland County Courts also created the need for additional rooms.

It appears that the Stark Hotel underwent a few name changes during its history. It opened as the "Stark Hotel" in 1889. Sometime after the First World War, its name was changed to the "Merchants Hotel" and then in 1951, it again was renamed "The New Merchants Hotel". Throughout much of the 50s and 60s until its closing, the hotel was essentially a rooming house.

The Stark Block restoration project began in 1996 when the Werrin Family generously donated the office building located at 33 West Otterman Street to the Westmoreland Trust. In the fall of 2000, the owners of the adjacent Stark Building, approached the trust with a proposal to sell the property. After evaluating the property and considering how it would fit into the Trust's mission and plans, the Board of Directors approved the Stark Building's purchase in 2001.