The Jefferson Hotel

The Jefferson Hotel (c. 1940)

The Jefferson Hotel (2016)

Site Name: The Jefferson Hotel

Date of Construction: 1895

Reason for Construction: Lewis Ginter hired the architectural firm Carrere and Hastings to build a hotel comprised of Renaissance and other architectural styles. Ginter was an extremely well traveled man with a strong appreciation for the arts and architecture and built the hotel as a manifestation of his interests and wealth.

Site History:

In 1892 wealthy Richmonder and Civil War Veteran Lewis Ginter hired the reputable New York architectural firm Carrere and Hastings to build a hotel comprised of an eclectic combination of Renaissance and other architectural styles. The hotel cost millions of dollars to construct over the course of three years. During its construction, Ginter collected many exotic goods and expensive antiques to furnish and decorate his hotel. Most famously, he commissioned Edward Valentine to sculpt a life-sized marble statue of Thomas Jefferson, the hotel’s namesake, for the upper lobby. Ginter ensured that his hotel featured all the amenities, including electricity.

The opening of the hotel was a success, attracting the public by the thousands on its opening day. The Jefferson Hotel hosted prominent and distinguished guests and was heralded the best hotel in the country. After Ginter’s death in 1897 and an extremely destructive fire in 1901, the hotel’s future was uncertain. In 1905, reconstruction and improvements began and the hotel reopened in 1907, though the interior looked different from the original after certain improvements and modifications. The hotel thrived, but as World War II came the hotel was required to house military recruits, who took away from the once luxurious atmosphere. Another devastating fire broke out in 1944, killing six people and casting a shadow over the hotel. Despite repairs and refurbishments after the fire, in the 1950’s the maintenance of the hotel began to decline, leading to the hotel’s closure in 1980.

In 1986, the Jefferson was reopened after three years of reconstruction, modernization, and redecoration. The hotel has since become the venue for local events and has hosted many distinguished guests including celebrities and politicians.

Area History:

The Jefferson is located at 101 W Franklin Street, in the midst of a residential area in Richmond in the 1890’s and near the convergence of several railroad lines. According to a promotional pamphlet produced by the hotel in 1890, “beautiful suburban drives stretch out in all directions.” Virginia Commonwealth University was established in 1844 in the same vicinity as the hotel, and continued to expand over the course of the 19th and 20th century, spreading throughout downtown Richmond, attracting students from diverse backgrounds as well as professors, doctors, and engineers. Since the hotels establishment, the surrounding city has modernized and urbanized greatly while the Jefferson remains as a preserved historical landmark. The neighborhood is less luxurious than the hotel itself, offering a sharp contrast; currently, the area surrounding the Jefferson consists of parking lots, small shops, apartments and houses, and VCU buildings.The hotel, which now hosts local events such as weddings, fundraisers, conferences, and parties, attracts wealthy patrons to the area.

Reflection:

I am largely interested in the architectural components of the building and how they reflect a combination of styles, as well as how the building evolved with disaster and historical events. I found it especially interesting that management and demand for rooms were so lacking that the hotel eventually closed for a short period of time. Now the Jefferson seems like such an integral part of Richmond’s history and culture that it is strange that it would face such neglect in a time of no consequential global conflict or severe economic hardship. Luckily investors saw the need to revive the hotel to make it available to the public again, allowing Richmonders and visitors enjoy the magnificent hotel.

Sources:

Cornwall, Allen. “ Historical Virginia Hotel Has a History of Fires.” Our Great American Heritage. 
August 10, 2010. http://www.ourgreatamericanheritage.com/2015/08/historic-virginia-hotel-
has-had-a-history-of-fires/ (accessed 18 Feb 2016).

“History.” The Jefferson Hotel. http://www.jeffersonhotel.com/experience/history  (accessed 18 Feb
2016).

"Jefferson Hotel, Main, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams Streets, Richmond, Independent City, VA." 
Library of Congress. N.d. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.va0559.photos.162727p/
(accessed 3 April 2016).

“The Jefferson Hotel.” National Parks Service. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/richmond/Jefferson
Hotel.htm (accessed 16 March 2016).

“The Jefferson, Richmond, Virginia.” Press of A Hoen and Co. 1800. https://archive.org/details/
Jeffersonrichmon00balt (accessed 16 March 2016).

Author: Sabrina Sampson