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Photo by Carol M. Highsmith
One of the city’s first steel-framed buildings, the hotel was billed as Washington’s first skyscraper. The structure is clad in limestone, light-colored brick, and terra-cotta. Located near the White House, it has figured significantly in the political life of the nation. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech there.
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Comments (3)
The 1980s addition is a terrible example of architectural fetishism gone wild.
Posted by Olive Thomas | February 10, 2007 8:19 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:19
Earlier the (Baltimore) Sun Building (nearby on F Street, and still standing) was billed as the first Washington skyscraper in 1885.
Posted by Matthew Gilmore | February 13, 2007 1:03 PM
Posted on February 13, 2007 13:03
One walk through the ornate lobby, and you can understand the birth (and staying power) of the urban legend that states the word "Lobbyist" originated here, as a term for those who sought President Grant's time and attention away from the White House... they waited in the Willard lobby for Grant's escapes from the White House, when he'd come for cigars and brandy! A fun story (albeit untrue) for a beautiful space in D.C.
Posted by Chris | March 16, 2007 5:38 PM
Posted on March 16, 2007 17:38