Evening star., 1942-07-12
BY John Clagett Proctor.

0y oSAAA SAS<5SeO - ONVOAs
At last, we understand the famous old
National Hotel building which has stood
at the northeast corner of Pennsylvania
avenue and Sixth street for upward of
116 years, is about to be removed, and
that soon nothing will be left OF this old
hostely but the memory of the many
celebrated men who have been guests
here in bygone days, as we'll as the
recollections and "reminiscences of inter-
esting events handed down to us prin-
cipally by men who have long since
passed into the great beyond.
Sometimes 1t is difficult to get at the
age Of a building and the tendency is to
make 1t somewhat older than what it
really is. But with this hotel, its age can
be pinned down with almost a degree of
certainty.
John Sessford, the author of Sess-
ford's Annals native of Northumber
land County. England, though of Scotch
parentage, came to this city about 1902
when young man. Being printer by
trade, he soon secured employment on
later served as foreman of the COM
posing room In 1903, he was appointed
to a position in the Treasury Depart
ment, and remained there to the time
Of his death, February %, 1862.
Beginning with the year 1922 Mr..
6essford began keeping a record of the
events transpiring in Washington, to-
i,,fr hno
progress of the city This practice he
kept up until 1859, missing but two years
during the period of thirty-seven years.
This record was published annually in
the National Intelligencer and no chron-
icles are regarded as more authentic.
And so, in referring to his record for
1926, regarding the National Hotel we
find him saying:
Beginning of Hotels Career.
Great improvements have been made
to Browns Tavern (site of the Metropoli-
tam and new and extensive one, to be
kept by Mr.. Gadsby, is now ready for
occupation
His report for the following year G82D
carries this reference: "' . the extern
sive additions to the National Hotel
carried up to the square, and will be
finished early in the coming season,
which will make it one of the most ex-
tensive and commodious taverns in the
Union" The following year, Mr.. Sess-
ford says: %" the National nearly
completed and in Pennsylvania avenue,
front of it, is accommodation for the
Bank of Washington
The first proprietor of the National
was John Gadsby, who formerly ran the
Indian Queen Hotel in Baltimore He
had come here in 1919, to conduct the
ONeale hostelry, known as the Franklin
Hotel, but about 1925 he decided upon
q change of location and the National
was erected especially for him. He took
a long lease of the property, and it was
during hts proprietorship that the
National was known as Gadsbys Hotel
There is little doubt that the present
structure has been added to and modi-
fed since the hotel was first erected.
but IN the main it is the original build.
Ing. In 1874, when Samuel 8. Coleman
took charge of the place, John Gadsby
having given up direct control Of the
business and moved to the Decatur
residence at H street and jackson place,
which he had bought, the hotel UNDER
went what was called "a thorough re-
pair" At the time 1t was built, 1t was
the first building erected in the city for
strictly hotel purposes that was not
designed along the same lines as a
private house.
Cost of Labor and Materials.
The carpentering on the building was
done by Mr.. Van Coble and the brick
work by Mr.. Bender. list of prices