Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-03-08
THE CLAYTON HOUSE
Cost Oger TWo HUI % dr. G d
Thousand Dollars
The Opening Banquet.
A BRILLIANT AFFAIR
The Sentiments and Speeches.

for the accommodation Of the public, and
the city's deficiencies In this
matter 10 the past, the event is one Of the
utmost public importance and general In. |
terest. When the new building was fret
thrown open TO the public on Thursday,
the 9Th OF December last, we gave our
readers a full description Of the building,
by history Of the move
ment which resulted in Its erection, but as
the matter is still Of general interest We
think that repetition Of some Of the In
formation we then gave will not be unac-
ceptable now that we are able to give
description Of the completed and finished
structure on the occasion of Its formal
opening by grand banquet given by the
manufacturers and merchants In honor Of
the event.
For years the necessity for a irst-class
hotel In our city had been evident to every
body, aud ils erection was urged by the
Press aud made the theme Of speeches anc
conversation ut every gathering Of husi-
ness men. The Board of Trade especially
urged the MATER, aud its debates and Off.
cisl reports fairly bris.led with urgent de.
mards that our business men should unite
IN securing the erection Of house worthy
Of our city, aud able TO accommodate the /
large number OF strangers brought here
BY our rapidly increasing trade.
In response to these appeals q hotel |
company was organized and much interest
was displayed In the matter from time 10 |
time, tut all to no definite result, and the /
old Indian Queen Hotel at the northeast |
corner of Fifth and Marke streets, a ven |
cradle but dilapiddted structure continued |
10 be regarded rs our principal hotel, |
though others less pretentlous had far
..l In ssls.fa ~
patronage.
Circumstances, however, soon threat-
ened TO still further curtail our city's in
adequate hotel accommodations. In the
latter part Of February, 1871, the Artisans
Savings Bank and the First National Bank
conformity purchased the Indian Queen
hotel property Of its owners, c. P. Johl i
son and David Chandler, for f36 200,
which price was reduced by the sale 4
the building material thereon TO about
SS5, 900. The old hotel and Its stables on
| King street were promptly torn down and
removed from the ground, with a view TO
the speedy erection Of banking houses on
the Market street front, and to supeilntend
the erection Of such buildings joint
building committee was appointed, con-
sisting of William Tatnall, Clement b.
Smyth and Edward Belts on behalf of the
First National, and William 8. Hilles,
George S. Cspelle aud John P, McLear on
behalf Of the Artisans.
The intention Of the banks was merely
to erect banking houses for their own use,
but this further reduction of the hotel IA
cililies of the city reused the dormant en-
ergy ofour people to DO something effective
: to secure the erection Of new hotel, and
the banks were urged 10 erect one
They hestated, however, 10 take the
risk, but finally, to relieve their fears on
this subject, subscription was started,
! ard bonus of S35 900 was subscribed and
made gin to the banks 10 guarantee
them against loss
They then determined to erect a hotel
building. The Joint Building Committee
G which had held its first meeting on April
= 18th, 1871, elected Dixon & Carson archi
teets on May 18th following, and on July
goth, the contract for the erection Of the
c new building was awarded 10 Passmort
II II. Mitchell for tS7,700, and work was
!, quietly begun without any formality OF
a Aug. 25th, 1871. Subsequently in April
: 1872, the Building Committee authorized
b the erection Of an additional story or tn,
Market street front, the contract for which
was awarded to Mr.. Mitchell for Sl5, 00l
additional. The building was begun OF
. August Goth, 1871, and was delivered b.,
= the contractor 10 the owners on Saturday
d Dec. It'll, Ave days before the time fixed il
n the contract,
Work had scarcely begun on the founda
> lions of the new building in the summe
r Of 1871, before speculation became rife a
ia to what its name would he and suggestion
by the score were offered to those charge
with the duty of naming the House, an
% spasmOdic interest continued 10 be man
Of Tested in the meter till Joint meeting c
Of the directors Of the two banks held o
Oct 9th, 1872, the momentous uuestio
- was decided, and Clayton House wa
Il chosen as Its name from out the folio win
10 list Of names;
in Clayton, in honor of Hon. John N
, Clayton Willing, In honor Of Thoma
2, Willing, founder Of this city; Wawase
I'd alleged to have been the Indian name
IT, the RrAndSwine; Kirkwood, 10 honor
al Captain KirkWood, Of revolutionary FAINT
- industrial, Peninsulnr, Brandywine, Sag
Do more, FELTON,, Delmaryia, Wilmington
IN Christiana, Metropolitan and Delmar.
Three ballots were taken, the leadir
of names being Clayton, Willing and Waw
set, after which Wawaset was droppe
ny and on the fourth ballot the name Of ''Tl
IN Clayton House" was adopted, receiving
zee votes to 80.
by DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
m The hotel building has a sold stot
be foundation, with brick walls, well dress
Ia. with granite and Ohio sand stone, excel
ing the main front, the first story
"o which is of iron, the whole structure bell
ed surmounted by n boldly designed mansa
st. roof, with iron cresting or railing
10 top. The cut OF the building we p
sent elsewhere, is one we print
on December 9Th, when the buildi
was fret thrown open to visitors and
The from sketch taken as soon as the SC
art folding was down and before the iron ere
mo ing was placed around the roof, 80 Il
-, while it gives better idea than we col
Vs' convey by mere words as TO the gene
ate appearance of the building, il by no mes
nal does Justice to the beauty of the structu
ION The iron front on Market street and
portlcos at the main entrance on Mar
n.y. street aud the ladies' entrance on Fl
axe street are especially handsome. The NJ
,te. ket and King streets fronts are each
or. feet the Fifth street front, 2l0 fe
~ highth on Market street, 73 feet. I
out first story Is l5K feet high, in the clei
ing the second, u feet the third, l2H fe
the fourth, III feet aities, 10 feet.
81 The main entrance on Market stree
u through COrinthian pOrtlcO to vestib
Ah' bAb ieets anu cOIiluOf icel Wluts
les ladies' entrance ia on Fifth street, betw
our the genilemnn's and ladies' parlOrs. z
Office Is In tho hall, near the centre of
A"J building, commanding view Of the I
OF entrances, the main corridors and ST.
rely ways. It Ia amply and handsomely
the nished and has a safe for valrables
"a. patent annuncRtor post office, pat
O"' room or register, and all the Other mod
are conveniences. Adjoining aud between
hen office and the main entrance are the {
,rth room, and wash room.
r., Across the corridor from the Office is
smoking room, and adjoining it Is
Iges gentlemen's parlor, very handsomely
nished, the upholstering being In red
rocco. Each of these rooms is II by
feet, and they are separated by slid
,a.s doors.
l., On the same side Of the main CORR,
20 but separated from these by the lad
ra entrance, arc two communicating roo
each II by 22 feet, elegantly fitted NJ
, 81 ladies' parloTs, and luXuriously furnish
onIa On the opposite side of the main csrri
~ are the breakfast room, the dish and <
q pantTy and carving reom. The main
~ rldor ends at the dining room, into wi
rnn il opens by folding doors. This is a re
~. splendid room, its length running &C
~ the whole King street front of the he
IN 7 its dimensions being GA by 80 feet
Itt.d walls and ceilings are handsomely (
ence coed, as are also those OF the CORR
ion office, etc. Two maih stairways for que
lciai and Que private stairway for servants,
tary to the upper floors. On this floor,