Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
BY John CLAGETr PROCTOR.

- IAND1NC on the DOTuci Va Oil
area which will soon Be trans
formed, in the new washington,
~ is the National Hotel at Penn
svlvania avenue and Sixth street
northwest, one Of our historic land
marks.
In the past few years several old
hostelries have made way for the marcn
of time. notably the Ebbitt House. at
Fourteenth and F streets northwest,
where now stands the National Press
Club Building. The site Of the Capltol
at Third and Pennsylvania avenue re-
Gently gave way to a gasoline station
and the Shoreham at Fifteenth and H
streets is being replaced by large
office building. The Franklin Square
Hotel tat the northwest corner of Four
teenth and K Streets is down, ana on
its site is being erected another large
structure. while in place of the ola
Hamilton House. directly opposite, mas
been erected another Hamilton on
much larger scale. And so 1t goes-a
new city is coming in and the old one
is passing away.
cerned. on the morning of october z.
1921. lust a little short of seven years
ago. II looked for a while as though
the dsv of its passing ha@ SERVED. Tor
the flames which enveloped the uppe-
stories and roof at times looked fright
fully menacing. AS it was. considerable
damage was done and had 1t not been
for the efficiency of our Fire Depart
ment, that morning would nave enoeo
the National Hotel. In addition to the
serious property damage sustained. TWO
persons lost their lives and there were
r1anv narrow escapes among the three
hundred and more guests who climbed
down ladders or were carried down by
fremen.
The National must have been begun
nrior TO 1926, if the statement is true
that it was first opened to guests on
Wasrineton's Birthday. February - !
1926. BY a parade. succeeded in the eve
ming by grand ball at the hotel:
The first proprietor of the Natonal
was John Gadsbv who formerly ran inc
Indian Queen Hotel in Baltimore. ne
had come here in 1919. TO conauct M
0'NeaIe hosiery. known AS the Franklin
Hotel but about 1925 he decided upon |
a change of location and the National
ras erected especially for him. He
took long lease of the property. ana .
n was during his proprietorsnip that II
was known as Gadsby's Hotel.
A MONG the most accurate state
~ ments of the early history OF TINS /
hotel is the reference mace 10 II oH
John Sessford in his Annals. IN ms
review of the year 1926. he says: Greap
improvements have been mace 10
Browns Tavern" (site of the Metro
nolitan1. "and a new and extensive one
r. he kept by Mr.. Gadsby, is now READY
for occupation. ,or
His report for the following year
G827) carries this reference:
tre extensive additions to the Natlona
Hotel carried up to the square. and VIII
he finished early in the coming season.
which will make it one OF the most
extensive and commodlous taVefhs IN
the Union" The following year. Mr.
ceesford saws. "~ the National
nearly completed and in Pennsylvania
avenue, front of it. is accommodation
for the Bank of Washington"
There is little doubt that the present
structure has been added n and mool-
fed since the hotel was first erected.
hut in the main it is the same bullolng.
In 1914. when Samuel s. Coleman TOOK
charge of the place. John GadSoy nav
ing given up direct control OF the buSi-
ness and moved to the Decatur resi-
dence which he had bought, 1t under
went what was called "a thorough re-
nair" AT the time it was built, it was
the first building erected in the city Tor
strictly hotel purposes that was not oe-
signed along the same lines as private
The carpentering on the building was
done bv Mr.. Van Coble and the 'brlck
work nv Mr.. Bender. A list OF prices
of building material and labor at TINS
period may be interesting: Removing
earth. II cents a cubic yard; furnishing
building stone. S1.20 perch. measured
In the wall; laying same, 30 Genus
nerch. Bricks then sold for SIS thou-
sand. delivered. and the laying c'st
al 87I5 with outside arches extra. Sand
was II cents a barrel and painters
charged Is cents a square yard Tor
tbree-coat work. including material.
Plastering, including material. 29!2
cents a yard. and the slater Tor MS
work got S1150 a square. Window sius,
five feet long. five and one-halt lncnes
thick, cost S4.75 each: door slllS. SIX 1eeI
long, seven inches thick. Sl1.72 eacn,
and circular door-heads, six feet wloe,
S16 each
A writer in 1880 describes Gadsby's as
follows: THE edifice fronts 1913 feet on
sixth street. 1876 on G street and lao
on the great Avenue. Under the same
roof are a bank. stage Office. WINE
store and a lottery office: in the paral-
telegram is comprised an open area OF
lao bv so feet. with perennial fountain
of spring water and grass plots. ana
wide piazZas are attached inside to the |
several stories. There are 240 apart
ments altogether, of which ITO are lodg-
ing rooms and Is private parlors."
1t is also said that, following John |
Gadsby. the hotel business was conduct
ed by Gadsby g. Newton. then by Will
liam Gadsby, son of the former pro-
prietor. to be followed by Samuel S.
Coleman.
After this came Mr.. Blackman and
for time after 1649 it was conducted
bv Calvert g. Co., who were soon sue |
ceeded by Dexter e. Willard, and then
came Guy g. Briggs, who ran it until
1857.
The Willard referred to was Edwin
S. Willard. a brother to the Willard
who for so many years successfully con-
Quoted the hotel business at the corner
of Pennsylvania avenue and Fourteenth
street northwest. 1t was while ne was
interested in the National, IN 1903, tnaC
he introduced the first gas cooking
stove known in this city and referred