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Willard Hotel

The Willard Hotel has stood on Pennsylvania Avenue just steps from the White House since the 1850s, making it one of the great gathering places in American political history. Generals, presidents, and lobbyists have all passed through its lobby. These posts explore the Willard’s long history, from its role in the Civil War to its midcentury decline and eventual restoration.

21 stories
The Willard Hotel in 1904, view up 14th St. NWA Glimpse of History: Viewing the Willard Hotel in 1904Dec 7, 2012Officers Wallace, Trundle and Johnson (Washington Post)Private Paul J. McDuff: Rescued from the Ninth-Floor Ledge of the Willard Hotel in 1949Dec 7, 2012Looking southwest at the Old Post Office Pavilion (far left), Southern Railway Building (middle), and District Building on Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., in 1932. On in the fall of 1932, the structures in rear of the District Building would be razed to make way for the U.S. Department of Labor building, whose cornerstone would be laid on December 15, 1932The View from the Willard Hotel’s Roof in 1932: Federal Triangle Taking ShapeDec 7, 2012Willard's HotelPhilemon Herbert: The Colorful Life and Controversial Legacy of a 19th-Century California CongressmanSep 20, 2012Washington, D.C., circa 1904. "North from the Smithsonian Institution." Landmarks include the Willard Hotel at left and Old Post Office tower. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company.The Willard Hotel and the Old Post Office Tower: An 8×10 Dry Plate PhotographAug 30, 2012Mark Twain at Congress: His 1906 Copyright TestimonyJul 5, 2012Aerial view in front of the Willard Hotel at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, showing pedestrians and rather dense traffic in autos and streetcars. - 1939Flipping the Order of My Posts: An Afternoon Photo Post from 14th and Pennsylvania Ave. NWJun 20, 2012Edward M. Fossler article headline in Washington Post on August 15th, 1903Edward M. Fossler’s Tragic Death at the New Willard Hotel in 1903Apr 25, 2012The Night Calvin Coolidge Was Challenged by a Fire Marshall at the Willard HotelApr 17, 2012
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