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Willard Hotel History Plaque in Washington, D.C.
The Willard InterContinental Washington is a historic luxury hotel located two blocks east of the White House in Washington, D.C. The hotel's site, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, has accommodated guests since 1816, but the Willard was formally founded by Henry Willard when he bought the property in 1850. The present twelve-story structure, designed by famed hotel architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, opened in 1901. It was for many years the only hotel from which one could easily visit all of downtown Washington, and has consequently hosted innumerable dignitaries in its history. Many United States presidents have frequented the Willard, and every president since Franklin Pierce, including George W. Bush, has either slept in or attended an event at the hotel at least once; the hotel is hence also known as "the residence of presidents." It was the habit of Ulysses S. Grant to drink brandy and smoke a cigar while relaxing in the lobby. Folklore, additionally promulgated by publicists for the hotel, holds that this is the origin of the term "lobbying," as Grant was often approached by those seeking favors. However, this is probably false, as the verb to lobby is found decades earlier and did not originally refer to Washington politics. Source: Wikipedia
Address: Pennsylvania Ave & 15th St NW Nearest Metro: Federal Triangle (Orange - Blue)
(dcMem ID #693)
Click here to see all 3 pictures of this attraction
The New Willard erected 1901
Site of Joshua Tennison's hotel 1818. John Strother 1821. Basil Williamson 1824. Frederick Barnard 1828, Proprietor of Mansion Hotel. Azariah Fuller American House 1833. City Hotel 1843. Willard's Hotel 1847-1901.
Distinguished guests
President's Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, Grant, Harding and Coolidge. Vice Presidents Hendricks, Marshal and Dawes. Also The Marquis de Lafayette, Jenny Lind, Charles Dickens, Lord and Lady Napier, Lloyd George,Edward Everett, Roscoe Conkling, John Sherman, Julia Ward Howe, John Howard Payne, Dion Boucicault
[P]ost Office Department 183[6]
0000500/00693_0000010270.jpg
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