The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-08
W~ILMINGTONIAN
CITES HOT.E
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had deemed fire escapes unneces.
sary when the building was con.
structed and that on their wore
the hotel had operated for 80 years
without such protection.
The hostelry was considered alb.
solutely fire-proof when it was con.
structed, he said, and he comment
ed that it was the 'last word' ir
hotel construction.
Harrell went to Atlanta in 1907
to lease the Aragon hotel, which
stood in the rear OF the site upon
which the Winecoff was built.
I'm 1911 I started to talk about
a new and modern hotel. I had
met W.. F. Winecoff and he offer.
ed to construct the building to my
specifications and lease it to me.
1--WE went to New York city to
confer with Stoddard architects,
expert in hotel design, and while
making the trip by train Mr.. Wine.
coff and l talked in the smoker.
"Mr. Winecoff asked me what
I was going to name the new hos
telry and 1 replied Winecoff."
HE laughed and answered
couldn't you think of something
better"
Harrell said the building, which
was constructed by the George A.
Fuller construction company Of
Washington, D. c., was of steel
frame surrounded by bricks. The
only wood in the building was the
mahogany doors, he added.
In commenting en- the tireproot
construction of the interior Har-
rell said that the partitions were
of four-inch lille with concrete.
poured around them. This was also
done he added, to make the rooms
as soundproof as possible.
The mahogany doors, Harrcll re-
vealed, were the cause Of the
hotels opening being postponed.
They were shipped to this country
through the Panama Canal and
during the journey became soaked
with saltwater and swelled out of
proportions. It was necessary to
do additional work on them after
their arrival, he added
There were one freight elevator
and two passenger lifts (Otis) in
the building he said. with the steps
circling the shafts.
A figure Of So, 900 a room was
set before construction, he con-
tinued but added that the cost ran
in excess of $3.50, 900. II put in
$65, 600 worth of furnishings" he
commented.
Harrell who came to Wilmington
in 1912 from st. Petersburg, Fla,
described the early Interior of the
hotel included a Dutch room in
the basement. The present lobby
floor was a DINING room he con-
tinued, while a palor room and
banquet room was where the mez-
canine is at the present time.
Later, he added, a marque out
from the mezzanine was converted
into additional dining space.
When asked about the supersti-
ton regarding a 18th floor in a
hotel - that floor was skipped in
the Winecoff Harrell replied.
g" it has just occurred to me that
there are 10 letters in the name,
that there were 10 parlor suites
and 80 rooms with showers =
three times 10 = in the hotel and
that the hosiery was opened in
49,"
The local restaurant proprietor
said that a large sign, IS foot long
with eight foot letters, was placed
atop of the building which was 60
IS feet at the top.
On the top Of the sign was an
insignia with the letters HW placed
in a circle, he continued. Atten-
ton was called to Harold that the
restaurant now operated by him
has the same initials and he re-
piled II had never thought of
that"
He recalled that in 1912 he had
played host to a large North Caro-
lima Shrine delegation attending a
convention.
81 operated the Aragon and the
Winecoff until 1915 when the panic
hit me and I returned the lease
to Mr.. Winecoff wnc bought John
F. .Letton from the Ansley hotel
to manage it FOR him. Eight months
later the hotel had lost $40, 900 and
Mr.. Winecoff leased the building to
Robert Myer company on a
graduating lease starting at $40, 900
year and increasing to $25, 900
a year." Harrell added.
When advised that wire stories
Of the catastrophe stated t h a t
Winecoff had operated the hotel
81 years, Harrsll replied that
IS not correct. He sold the hotel
o the Myers company 10 years
ago and he operated the hotel only F.
or the eight month period which
mentioned"
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