Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-08-11
FAMOUS HOTEL KEEPER
Caleb C. Willard One of Wash.
ington's MiIIionaires
Two Of His Brothers Also Highly Sue
cessfu In Same 5uslness-All Natives
of Westminster.

died wednesday. August z, in Atlantic
City after an illness of several years
with diabetes and complications. The
funeral was held in Washington Saturday.
Mr. Wizards wife and daughter, Mrs.
Kate Willard Boyd, wife of Medical Dr.
rector Boyd of the United States, and
two grandchildren, Miss Alice Willard
Boyd and Walter Willard Boyd, survive
him. He was an uncle of Lieut.. Gov.
Joseph e. Willard of Virginia. His
other nephews are Henry X Willard,
son of II. A Willard; George Z. Howe,
a practicing attorney of Boston, and Ed
win Willard, who is in the hotel business
at Saratoga, n. Y. His brother, Stephen
Willard lives at Westminster, VT, and
his sister Mrs. Dickinson, resides at
Charestown, n. II.
He was born in Westminster, VT, Aug
ust 10, 1884. His parents were Joseph
and Susan Dorr Clapp Willard, both of
Vermont. On his fathers side he was
direct descendant of Simon Willard,
builder of Bunker Hill monument while
his maternal ancestry was equally illus
trious. His maternal grandmother Nancy
Dorr, was a direct descendant of Eben-
ezer Dorr, who accompanied Paul Revere
on the night of his memorable ride from
Old North church, Boston, to sound the
war alarm.
Caleb Clapp Willard came to Washing
ton when he was a lad of Is years, and,
after receiving an education he was
launched into the hotel business at Old
Point Comfort, Va, and there and in
other places he gained an experience
which stood him in good stead when he
entered the hotel field of Washington as
proprietor of the Ebbitt House. at 18th
and F streets which has for years been
the acknowledged headquarters for army
and navy officers.
When Mr.. Willard came to Washington
in his boyhood it was to join his brothers,
{
the proprietors of Wizards Hotel. This
was in 1919. and after attending Wash
ington seminary, now Gonzaga college,
Mr.. Willard received his first insight
into the hotel business, which afterward
proved to be the nucleus of his fortune.
He was 10 years of age when his brothers
put him in charge of the old Hygeia
hotel at Old Point Comfort. which at that
time had a capacity for 1000 guests and
was the only summer hotel south of New
York.
Yellow fever became epidemic in Nor
folk a few years later, in 1885, and the
house was closed. Shortly afterward it
was purchased by Mr.. John Segar. Mr..
Willard then went to Chicago and other
points in the West. A year later he came
back to Washington on account of the
illness Of his brother Joseph. 1t was at
this time that he purchased one-half
interest of Mr.. Segar in the Hygeia hotel,
and had the exclusive management Of 1t
until 1862, when the government ordered
the hotel to be torn down, because it in
terfered with military and naval opera
tions.
The privilege of experimenting the de-
struction of the building, however, was
granted to Mr. Willard. 100 soldiers and
40 carpenters being placed at his disposal.
The ground was cleared in two weeks.
At the outbreak of the civil war Mr..
Willard was sent to New York for the
government to take the first order for
six months rations for 10000 troops He
returned on the transport with 1000 three
months men from Vermont, commanded
by General Phelps, U. s. A. Upon his
return to Fort Monroe Mr.. Willard was
appointed commissary storekeeper and
ordered to receive these stores from New
York. and had under his charge 100 Bos-
ton stevedores, each man measuring more
than six feet in height. After resigning
his commission Mr.. Willard went to New
York and became half owner of the Cir
ard hotel, with the late Milford Smith
of the Grand hotel Broadway. Later
Mr.. Willard returned to Fort Monroe and
was placed in charge of the building for
the accommodation of officers and ex-
changed prisoners from both the North
and South, who were placed in his GUS
tody.
Mr.. Willard was among the few sur
vivors who witnessed the memorable
rimac.
In 1864 he went to Washington and
bought the Ebbitt House, and built 1t Ut
to what it now is, which, up to Is years
ago, was equal to any hotel in the coun-
try, and can show upon it's registers
more prominent names than any other
hotel in the city. During the time Con-
gress made no appropriation for the pay
of army and navy officers he invited
such officers to be his guests at the Eb-
bitt This act on his part made the late
Gen. Sherman a lifelong friend, and this
famous officer once remarked: willard
made a fortune and there was not a dirty
shilling in it,"
Mr. Willard was a personal friend and
ardent admirer of President Mckinley,
and one of his most cherished possessions
is a photograph where both were taken
together, showing striking facial re-
semblance between the two. Mr.. Nc
Kinley was a guest at the Ebbitt IA years,
and went from there to the White House.
Mr.. Willard was rendered the commission
ership of the District of Columbia by
President Mckinley, as well as many
other important offices of trust but
these he invariably declined, preferring
life of retirement to an official one
In the development of F street, Mr..
Willard was the pioneer and the first to
construct large buildings in that section,
notably among them the Adams build
ing, the large double iron structure, still
one of the finest in the city. His con-
fidence in this locality was so great that
at low prices he secured frontage on F
street from 18th to 14th street on which
are now located the Ebbitt House and
geological survey buildings, his modesty
preventing him from ever putting up his
own name over any of his own buildings
In 1889, after conducting the Ebbtt
House for rs years, he leased it to a syn
dictate and retired from business. He re-
served a handsome room in the Adams
building as his downtown office.
Another of the handsome properties
owned by Mr.. Willard may be mentioned
the Hooe Iron building, almost adjoining
the Ebbitt House, which was completed
at an estimated cost of more than $780,
900, including the price Of the land on
which it stands.
While one of the wealthiest men in the
District, Mr.. Willard was frugal and I'M
pretentious. He gave freely in deserving
cases of charity and was of kind dispose
ton, having a large circle of friends who
are panied by his loss. He bought his
home at 14th and p streets, which is 'front.'
ed by ample grounds and many rare shade
trees, from Mr.. Kingman, an old time
Washington newspaper man. The prem
ises were out Of repair, but Mr.. Willard
remodelled the structure and beautifed
the grounds, and 1t is now one of the
picturesque, old-fashioned homes for
which Washington was noted years ago.