Exterior view: The Willard InterContinental Washington
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Hardenbergh, H. J. (Henry Janeway), 1847-1918
George A. Fuller Company
The Willard InterContinental Washington has a long and storied history, dating back to 1816 when a row of two-story houses was first built on the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and transformed into a hotel. In 1901, Joseph E. Willard built a Beaux-Arts “sky-scraper” at that site, soaring 160 feet high. He hired the architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who was already well-known for designing New York’s Waldorf- Astoria Hotel.
American presidents have stayed and dined at the Willard, and Martin Luther King Jr’s famous I Have a Dream speech was penned there days before the march on Washington.
After a period of steep economic and urban decline in 1960s Washington, D.C., the building was in a terrible state of disrepair. The hotel was officially closed in 1968, and was slated for demolition, but in early 1974, the National Trust for Historic Preservation stepped in. On June 12, 1978, ownership of the Willard passed to the U.S. Government through the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC), which had been formed to clean up the neighborhood.
In 1986, the hotel reopened as the Willard InterContinental Washington.
Hardenbergh, H. J. (Henry Janeway), 1847-1918
Gemma, Pat
1986
Prince, Neal
Lee, Sarah Tomerlin
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
The President leaving Willard's Hotel, Washington
Willard Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Wood engravings--1850-1860
Presidential inaugurations--Washington (D.C.)--1850-1860
Parades & processions--Washington (D.C.)--1850-1860
Historic hotels
An 1853 engraving depicting President Franklin Pierce leaving the Willard Hotel.
In 1820, Joshua Tennyson leased the property at Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourteenth Street from Captain John Tayloe to run a hotel just a few blocks from the White House. Tayloe‘s block of two story buildings bordered the north side of the avenue. In 1850, Henry A. and Joseph C. Willard united the six original buildings under one facade.
The hotel was later rebuilt as a twelve-story, beaux-arts style structure in 1901. The New Willard Hotel was considered one of Washington’s first skyscrapers, and became the Willard InterContinental Washington in 1986.
1853
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Illus. from: The illustrated news, v. 1, March 12, 1853, p. 164.
1 print : wood engraving.
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental exhibit wall panel
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Exhibitions
New York School of Interior Design. Gallery
Hotels--Designs and plans
Wall panel from the 2013 New York School of Interior Design exhibit "Designing the Luxury Hotel: Neal Prince and the Inter-Continental Brand."
The Willard Inter-Continental has a long and storied history, dating back to 1816 when a row of two-story houses was first built on the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and transformed into a hotel. In 1901, Joseph E. Willard built a Beaux-Arts “sky-scraper” at that site, soaring 160 feet high. He hired the architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who was already well-known for designing New York’s Waldorf- Astoria Hotel. American presidents have stayed and dined at the Willard, and Martin Luther King Jr’s famous I Have a Dream speech was penned there days before the march on Washington. The hotel’s interiors were as grand as
their guests, featuring 35 kinds of marble quarried in Europe, red rugs laid upon mosaic floors, scagiola columns, gilt-colored cornices, crystal chandeliers, and other elaborate details that announced the sensual exuberance of the Victorian period.
After a period of steep economic and urban decline in 1960s Washington, D.C., the building was in a terrible state of disrepair. The hotel was officially closed in 1968, and was slated for demolition, but in early 1974, the National Trust for Historic Preservation stepped in. On June 12, 1978, ownership of the Willard passed to the U.S. Government through the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC), which had been formed to clean up the neighborhood.
Shortly thereafter, InterContinental was contracted to manage the hotel, and Prince’s team planned an extensive restoration of the grand public spaces and hotel rooms. . For his final project, Prince hired Sarah Tomerlin Lee of Tom Lee, Ltd. to restore the glamor and sumptuousness of the lobby, Peacock Alley, the Crystal and Willard Rooms, the Ladies Lounge, the Robin Bar, and the oval suites including the Presidential. Lee was well-known for her ability to marry historical interiors with modern interpretations of traditional styles for an updated aesthetic.
Prince and his department at Inter-Continental worked in close consultation with Lee to meticulously research the original condition of the hotel, salvaging pieces of original woodwork and plaster to create molds that could be used in the restoration process, and scraping through as much as 16 layers of paint to arrive at the original color of the walls. Ironically, what they found through historical research was that the original palette was too harsh for modern tastes, and had to be softened. Scraps of fabric from the original furnishings were used to fabricate plush Victorian reproductions for rooms and seating areas. Balconies and bulls-eye windows were reconstructed to capitalize on the hotel’s arresting views. Tin ceiling tiles that once adorned the lobby with state seals were reproduced by set designers from the Metropolitan Opera. Lee spent three years on the Willard project, not only restoring the historical features, but also modernizing the guest rooms in a French style that complemented the surrounding architecture. The refurbishment brought the hotel back to life and helped InterContinental brand the Willard as an important historical American hotel.
New York School of Interior Design
New York School of Interior Design
2013
Prince, Neal A.
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Installation/Exhibition
New York, NY
Willard InterContinental Washington bulls-eye window
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotels)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Windows
Interior decoration
Architectural details
Balconies and bulls-eye windows were reconstructed to capitalize on the hotel’s arresting views.
Prince, Neal A.
1986
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington coffered lobby ceiling
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Ceilings--Decoration
Hotels--Decoration
Neal Prince and his department at InterContinental worked in close consultation with hired designer Sarah Tomerlin Lee to meticulously research the original condition of the hotel, salvaging pieces of original woodwork and plaster to create molds that could be used in the restoration process. Tin ceiling tiles that once adorned the lobby with state seals were reproduced by set designers from the Metropolitan Opera.
Prince, Neal
1986
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington Crystal Room
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Interior decoration
Hotels--Decoration
For his final project, Prince hired Sarah Tomerlin Lee of Tom Lee, Ltd. to restore the glamour and sumptuousness of the lobby, Peacock Alley, the Crystal and Willard Rooms, the Ladies Lounge, the Robin Bar, and the oval suites including the Presidential.
The Crystal Room's fluted pilasters and green scagliola columns, crystal chandeliers and sconces reflect its turn of the century opulence. Located just off Peacock Alley, the Crystal Room accommodates 210 banquet style and up to 250 for a reception.
Lee, Sarah Tomerlin
1986
Prince, Neal
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington Grand Ballroom
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Interior decoration
Ballrooms
Hotels--Decoration
The Willard Grand Ballroom spans 4736 square feet. Scraps of fabric from the original furnishings were used to fabricate plush Victorian reproductions for rooms and seating areas.
Prince, Neal
1986
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington Grand Ballroom, pre-renovation
Willard Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Ballrooms
View of the Willard's Grand Ballroom before the renovation took place. There are over 7,000 square feet of marble floors on the ground level of the hotel. Over one and a half million ¾ inch square pieces were refitted, some lifted out, cleaned and shaped and others added from newly cut marble. Renovators searched old quarries in Sienna, Italy to find stone with the best color match.
1986
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington main lobby
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Washington (D.C.)
Historic hotels
Interior decoration
Hotel lobbies
Seating (Furniture)
Hotels--Decoration
For his final project, Prince hired Sarah Tomerlin Lee of Tom Lee, Ltd. to restore the glamour and sumptuousness of the lobby, Peacock Alley, the Crystal and Willard Rooms, the Ladies Lounge, the Robin Bar, and the oval suites including the Presidential.
The restoration included the original front desk of the Willard’s main lobby, a distinct petal-shaped structure of ochre marble, glass and polished wood. All the marble in the public rooms was meticulously restored by hand.
The Willard's lobby was refurbished in December of 2009 to include moving the front desk to its original location.
Lee, Sarah Tomerlin
1986
Prince, Neal A.
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.
Willard InterContinental Washington Peacock Alley espresso bar
Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts
Willard Intercontinental (Hotel)
Hotels--Washington (D.C.)
Hotel restaurants
Historic hotels
Interior decoration
Hotels--Decoration
For his final project, Prince hired Sarah Tomerlin Lee of Tom Lee, Ltd. to restore the glamour and sumptuousness of the lobby, Peacock Alley, the Crystal and Willard Rooms, the Ladies Lounge, the Robin Bar, and the oval suites including the Presidential.
The Willard InterContinental currently hosts afternoon tea in this restaurant during tea season, beginning in October.
Lee, Sarah Tomerlin
1986
Prince, Neal A.
Neal A. Prince Special Collection & Archives, New York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United States
Washington, D.C.