each week american artifacts takes you to museums and historic places to learn about history. located the heart of washington dc, willard hotel has been a witness to history for 200 years. its guests have included abram

lincoln, mark twain. world iers and the fine delegation the united states in 1861. welcome to the willard. i'm carr and i represent partnership that owns this wonderful asset and today you'll hear a lot its rich history. hello, marie carr. welcome to the willard hotel, located in the heart of the city. just two blocks away from the white house. the willard is conveniently located to many of the city's notable attractions, including iconic monuments, memorials and museums on the national mall. we're very fortunate to have location and we can know where thanks to captain john taylor. captain john taylor was reputed to be one of virginia's wealthiest plantation owners. he was a friend and supporter of general and of the plan to build the city of washington, d.c.

captain taylor acquired the land on 14th and pennsylvania avenue in 1816. he built six two story attic dwellings. was a good investment fo this because the city of washington at the time was, really not a city at all. it was more of a town. in fact, it was far marshlands. the avenue of the fonz dreams was akin to a swamp. on a rainy day. it was a river of mud and filth. and when it was dry, all the construction debris and dust from building the president's mansion, the washington monument, in the capital, was everywhere. tourists and people coming to the city found accommodations very sparse. and if you did find it, it was communal living. i'm jim hughes, bartender at round robin bar at the historic willard hotel as washington, d.c., as the capital of united states. so did the willard hotel.

everything happened within ten blocks of the white house. in fact, if you walked out the door of the willard hotel. exactly one mile from here is is the capitol just on the other side of street is the treasury building. you have the white house. so you can how people built homes. the social and political center of washington became this corner 14th and pennsylvania avenue. benjamin taylor, the son of john taylor, really said that in order to keep pace with what was going on in other cities in the united states, as well as to bring the and the luxury and modernization that was going on in the hotel business to washington, then he needed to bring somebody into here into washington to run this hotel. between years 18, 18 and 1847, re many managers. and each attached a new name to the hotel.

however, in 1847, henry willard became the manager and that time forward, the willard played an important prominent role in the history of this hotel for the next 100 years. let's talk a little bit about henry willard. henry willard came from vermont and it was a very astute, energetic and ingenious businessman. he and brother joseph were on the niagara. it ran troy, new york, to new city on the hudson in new york steamship. lloyd. and he made it his practice to provide the best service to anybody who was on that ship. phoebe warren, the fiancee of benjamin fogle, met henry. i one of the trips from troy to new york. she was impressed with this service to everybody. and when her fiance came, benjamin mentioned he needed a new manager for the willard. she recommended henry. henry applied for the job and in

1847 moved to washington to manage the city hotel. henry to help a grand hotel to run on a grand plan for the city hotel. at the time, 100 hotel rooms. it had a beautiful main entrance with portico. it had a women's entrance for ladies of a 14 st thao private lounge on the mezzanine level for them, there was entertainment every night of the week. there a private dining room for the ladies. the gentlemen, as were bathroom. henry had decided the hotel would be the finest in the city, and he wanted to provide the best food be found. and it was reported that one of his routines was to the hotel at 3 a.m. every morning to go to the markets to personally select the produce, fish and meats there, to be served at that time. politicians in the 1840s and fifties were not professional politicians. congress did not meet round, so

people who came to washington as politicians had to find places to stay and often they stayed together in boarding houses and other people's homes as well as the early hotels. in fact, pennsylvania avenue was known as the avenue of america because there were so many hotels along pennsylvania avenue and the willard family, when they were brought in here by the owners, had a property to upgrade the status of of this property, wanted to bring in all of those things that people had been experiencing in other cities, including cities in europe, as well, as new york and philadelphia. henry clay came to washington in 1808, and along with henry clay came barrels kentucky straight sour mash, otherwise known as bourbon. in fact, barrel said he brought from bourbon county were actually stamped with bourbon county for tax and that's how the name evolved for bourbon. now he discovered that washingtonians were drinking

their juleps, their mint juleps with rum or brandy. he was appalled at this and he decided to show the proper way to make his southern style julep. and he used the relish in showing people how to make a julep, southern style with kentucky, straight bourbon, whiskey. and we continue to to practice that legacy here. in fact, we use henry clay original recipe. in fact, henry clay traditionally in the beginning of every new session of congress, would bring a barrel of bourbon, and he would invite on a bipartisan basis members of congress from both of the aisle to join him, toasting the new legislative session. and that tradition continues to this day. in fact, just recently we had, a group of distillers from bourbon county in kentucky, come here. and with the assistance of the delegation of senators and congressmen from kentucky honor the senator and that legacy that was started back the early 1800s

here at the willard hotel senator henry clay was known as the great compromiser. and what better to compromise after a day of legislative battling on capitol hill than to retire the bar at at the willard hotel and have a mint julep? he was known as the great compromiser, senator calhoun was known as a great, intelligent officer. and daniel webster was known as the great orator. these two gentlemen really set the stage for the political battles that led up to the civil war in the 1860s. and this was a place where the willard hotel was always known as a place where people from both sides of the aisle could get together. you bipartisan manner and discuss a busy day on capitol hill, the affairs of the day and how to move forward into the future. now we're peacock alley peacock alley is a name that came from the waldorf astoria, new york city at the time. the wonderful ladies the society

was struck down a hallway. the two hotels and who came to watch call them peacocks. so when the manager from the waldorf astoria came down to manage the willard hotel he this quarter would be be called the peacock early in the 1850s, the city of washington was growing and the decided to keep pace. they decided that the six two story dwelling should be united behind a common facade. so the frame facade was torn down and the new bacade added. it was painted white. additional stories were added to the ho the interior with some large. 1850s. 1860s were a good time for the willard's henry willard beck pierce when he was running for president and when franklin pierce won president, pierce became the first president to visit the willard hotel the willard would house many almost all of them from that day forward. and since then the hotel was called the residence of

presidents in addition to having congressmen, senate and businessmen stay at the hotel the village decided to the foreign dignitaries a particular was the japanese delegation. the japanese had never left their homeland and were headed to the united to visit with president buchanan and to sign the treaty of amity commerce. that at the time there was no blair house to house foreign dignitaries and that task fell to the willard congress to appropriate its $50,000 for the willard to refurbish and redecorate to accommodate our guests from japan. rooms were re carpeted with red carpets. there was a pantry built in kitchens and then a floor of 60 rooms was given to the delegation. the japanese entered through ladies entrance on 14th street and security hired to help take of any wayward what they called a noise at the time the japanese

found our customs of bathing in private or eating stale and or even clothing very foreign to them, but enjoyed it. the delegation was composed three samurai ambassadors and an addintrage of four people at the close of the 1860s. the willard said achieve their goal. they had congressmen senate businessmen, statesmen and now foreign with the success of the japanese delegation. they to do this and the beginning of the 1860s. we found that itself became a focal point for military and political reasons. we're now in the abraham suite. it's one of 41 suites in the newer building. abraham lincoln did not stay in this room. the room was named after him. he stayed in the structure. it was dated in 1864, ten days prior to his election. but let's go back to what the city of washington was like in

1860. in 1860, there was a lot of focus on military and political activity, one historian noted that hotel demand so great the hotels were able to their prices from $2 to $4 a night. the willard, unlike other hotels, was considered neutral, the northerners would enter from the pennsylvania avenue entrance, and our southerners entered from the f street entrance, the willard hall, with a large, spacious room that was able to accommodate the peace convention, the convention was a last ditch to try to avert the civil war. it was held from february 4th to february 27th, in 1861. it. 131 polities from 21 states and our former tyler was chair of the unfortunate. lee. it failed. and six weeks later the civil war started the arrival abraham lincoln to washington not without excitement.

war fever was, broiling emotions there feelings in maryland there were sympathy toward the southern cause and they were reaching dangerous levels. there was concern about safety of president elect abraham lincoln traveling by train from baltimore to washington. so was decided on a foggy saturday morning. the abraham lincoln would be removed from the last railcar in the baltimore depot and taken to washington dc before his family and entourage arrived. he was smuggled into to the ladies entrance and taken immediately to suite her parlor six on the second floor. when he arrived, a piece of paper from an envelope had scribbled on it. the president was here and was delivered to the various delegates at the peace conference abraham lincoln conducted a bit of business while he was here. he stayed for ten days and in fact, the first white house levee was held at the white

house, was at the willard hotel, and when he introduced himself, his wife was quite a bit shorter than he said, i want to introduce you to the long and the short of the new presidency. president abraham lincoln's brought magnitudes the people to the hotel, the hotels were filled to the max and the willard found itself bringing. 475 mattresses. and ev then people wer staying in hallways and stairwells. abraham lincoln and his family ayed at the willard for ten days. and in fact, first check he wrote when he was a president was to pay for his willard hotel bill ulysses grant also at the willard. however, when he appeared to check in with his son, he didn't have on his uniform. he looked disheveled and unfortunately one recognized him. so his room wasn't very nice. we're lucky, though, he doesn't hold a grudge because he came back to the willard multiple times. he liked to smoke a cigar, sit by the fireplace, and spend time in the lobby.

a lot ofessm decide to take the opportune a grant sitting in the lobby at the will askor favors, and president grant called them lobbyists. the term lobbyists origat in london, but it was president grant who made a word that's common in our picture. we learned today. juliet ward howe was also a guest at willard. she was the sister, the famous lobbyist, sam ward, and he had recommended she and her husband at the willard. the willard was one of the few hotels that offered stationery to his guest. it was on one of these pieces of stationery. early one morning, she penned the to the battle hymn of the republic. it was originally a poem, but when added to the music, it became the patriotic and national anthem of the northern cause and is today a patriotic song throughout our land we also had colonel logan stay with us and had decided that a day should be dedicate it in the memory of all of our fallen

soldiers. he chose the date may 30th, 1868, and today recognize that is an annual holiday called memorial. annio ford was a famous spy. she is resnsle for passing northern troop location and information to colelosby of the southern. she caught and imprisoned and it was major willard who accompanied her to the prison. he fell in love with her and to she had sign an oath of allegiance to, the northern union, as it turned out antonio gave up spy. major willard resigned from the army and the two married six months later. they had several children and e willard was born in the hotel and had the same love and affection for hotel as his father did. unfortunately, antonio died seven years later and was absolutely inconsolable.

the willard family experienced tremendous success with the hotel during the civil and the years immediately afterwards. as the country grew, the city and the center of washington that that ten square that ten square blocks around the white house extended up connecticut avenue to the northwest, extended straight north, and the willard family realized that in order to keep pace with the growth of the city, that needed to upgrade the hotel. i'm not saying that it fell into disrepair. it didn't keep up with what was going on in rest of the city so second generation willard family. joseph jr, who was known as the captain. circa 1901. he inherited the willard hotel and decided to get involved in the hotel business. in fact, to the extent of almost like bringing his his brothers and his relatives together to

work, to grow this this, this, this property, he went to new york and. he brought in a number one architect by the name of howard hamburg, who who had built the waldorf astoria, among other hotels along the east coast. and he built the finest hotel at that washington had ever seen. that project started in 1901. in fact, they they faced a project the project didn't want to lose business and lose the identity that they had built over the last hundred years as washington's premier hotel residence in the 1920s, they expanded the willard hotel to over 400 rooms. this structure was the tallest building in washington it was a beaux arts style architecture. there was a fantastic ballroom on the top floor with the beaux arts architecture. top floor had a 30 foot ceiling

and, was able to accommodate over a thousand people. it was truly a magnificent structure. and it was a cornerstone at downtown washington for many, many the willard hotel experienced tremendous success adventf of depression in thethe 1920s as the rest of the country experienced depression. so the willard hotel both financially and in terms of structurally fact there was a fire in 1922 in the ballroom and they were they were unable to over the next few years, you know, restore that area. there's an interesting story of during the depression about about the bonus marches the veterans from world war one. and this is in the early 1930s who marched on washington in order to to ask government to release their pension money early, rather than having to wait till until they were much

older and they were all camped down by an cost. you and i believe marjorie meriwether post of the post family of notoriety heard about their plight were all in camped out in anacostia and she actually had her chauffeur drive to the willard hotel and she walked into the willard hotel and asked to see the manager and asked if she could order 5000 sandwiches and lemonade iced tea for the bonus. marchers. well, as as several thousand packs of cigarets and eager to accommodate the manager did honor her request and had the items delivered to the bonus marchers which gives you kind of an idea of how how closely aligned the family over the years over 200 years. in fact were aware of what the

needs were of the city and it shouldn't have it whether they were affluent or or not so affluent and and that tradition continued the thirties and into the forties. an interesting point of fact is the fact that the patent office being in close proximity to willard, you had a lot of people visiting washington with new innovative ideas, whether be elevator steam engines, air conditioning, you it those ideas come across the willard whether or not whether or not it was that the actually at the round robin bar or in the lobby but you can well be well aware that that the astute as they were that the family members were always having their ear to the ground to find out what the latest was whether it was installing telephones in each room going back to the 1840s,

having hot water and at end bathrooms on each floor for for the guests. and that led to having running water and actual bathroom in the individual rooms when the hotel was rebuilt in the part of the 19th century. then you have the turn the century you have the new willard. it was known in 1901, built in the corner, 14th and pennsylvania. and you had all these modern accommodations that were incorporated that just bedazzled people. when you think about it, people were visiting washington for the first time and and and visiting white house and visiting capitol hill. and here's is this this beautiful and with a grand lobby peacock alley and and all of these modernniences this that that they weren't used to at home in mid america or wherever they were from. it's fascinating to talking to

people who visited washington for the first time, whether it be in the 1940s during world wa two andnd different things that that that they people who had never traveled before. i remember talking to a gentleman who was stayed at the willard hotel and it was that if you walked into the willard hotel had a uniform on that you were you were you were searched you were you given accommodations. if they were available, it was a welcomed place for all service members and many people at first experience in washington was staying at the willard hotel when were 18 or 19 years old prior to going overseas to to the fight during world war two headed opportunity to meet of these people when they the dedication for the world war two memorial and it was fascinating listening to them talk about their recollection of what it was like to be at the willard hotel the 1940s. this one gentleman told me, he said it was a middle of the

summertime he had never been to the big city before, had never been on a train. he is staying at the willard hotel now and it was so hot but the lobby was so cool so a so so comfortable because they these large vats of ice that they were had large fans as cold air. he said he sees on two chairs off the lobby for three nights beusit was soomfortable. he still remembers that experience. and it's those kinds of experiences that in that, you know, you're talking with people about what it was to to attend a high school graduation at, the willard hotel in the 1950s at the grand on the top floor with the these french doors that opened up on to this this value. needed overlook the entire city with the high mansard roof and and what just what what a glorious place it was to visit. and i sadly, the willard family

decided get out of the hotel business in the 1940 and they sold their interests to a new group. now the new york group that came in, the able group, put over a half a million dollars into renovating and the hotel again in the tradition that the willard had started many years before of trying to keep willard hotel as an entity keeping pace of what the what was going on in the of the country and they did a renovation of the hotel terms of style and convenience and that continued into the 1960s. but washington d.c. as a as an urban area changed considerably the whole center of washington moved there was very little downtown in terms of of residential for people the whole the entire shopping district in

and market area of washington had moved and slowly hotel deterioratedn terms of its goods and services. so by 1960s it was it was necessary to the hotel and when president john f kennedy traveled from the capital to the white house, he decided that it had to be improvements to pennsylvania avenue. he created the pennsylvania avenue development corporation, a task revitalizing this corridor. he wanted pennsylvania avenue to once again be the the font avenue of everyone's dreams. the commission decided that the willard hotel should be demolished and open parks very should be created. an auction was held. the admission was a dollar and you were asked to bring chisels and hammers. the hotel was sipped. everything. if you could carry it, you could take it in the lobby. going to see the tiles.

there's 48 tiles. they were removed and during the restoration we were able restore them. chandelier square taken the columns which not marble they're plaster clearly they were destroyed. the ballroom was stripped of its floor and we lost a lot of the beautiful architectural features of the hotel. after a 13 year battle, it was decided that indeed public affection saved the hotel and it was now goingo a restoration. and it was a three year project to bring the hotel back to its grandeur. there's something very special about, the willard, and it's an affection borne so much from his architecture, but from knowing that this is the place has witnessed history being made and had wonderful people coming through. you can watch this and other artifacts programs by visiting web site at c-span dot