Washington Jefferson Hotel

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6-story Beaux-Arts hotel completed in 1940. Designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag, it is clad in red brick and limestone, ten bays wide. The rusticated stone ground floor has the main entrance in the center two bays, both with glass double-doors atop a wide set of steps and covered by a metal canopy with illuminated, multi-colored pastel bands along the top and bottom, as well as a cursive "WJ" in red neon on all three sides. To either side is a large plate-glass window in an enframement that extends to the 2nd floor; there are splayed rustications above the window. At the 2nd floor this surround is segmental-arched, with a double-window divided by a black iron mullion, and topped by a cartouche. The next bay has segmental-arched window at the east (topped by an elaborately carved foliate architrave), and a restaurant entrance at the west, with glass double-doors framed by blue-painted stone, and reached by a low set of pink granite steps. Continuing outward is another large plate-glass window bay in a matching 2-story segmental-arched surround (capped by another pair of cartouches). The end bays have single-windows with splayed lintels.

The 2nd floor is banded stone and red brick, splayed above each window bay. There are round-arched single-windows in the end bays, followed by the 2-story segmental-arched bays, then a bay of paired round-arched windows, the inner group of segmental-arched 2-story surrounds, and round-arched single-windows in the two center bays above the entrance.

A stone cornice sets off the upper floors, with the 3rd-5th floors divided into two halves by white brick quoins at the center; there are also brick quoins at the edges. At each half, the end bay and middle bay match, with ornamented full stone surrounds at the windows; the pilasters forming the sides of the surround are fluted at the 4th floor, topped by triangular pediments at the 3rd floor, topped by rounded pediments at the 4th floor, and have keystones at the 5th floor. The four double-window bays are framed by 3-story stone surrounds edges with brick quoins. They have elaborately carved stone spandrels between floors, including cartouches between the 4th & 5th floors, and terminate in large, projecting, triangular pediments at the 5th floor, enclosing seashells. The two paired window bays have separate stone surrounds with elaborate ornamental lintels and keystones, and are also covered by black iron fire escapes; at the 2nd floor, the east fire escape landings extend to lower sections at the adjoining bays.

The top floor is set off by a band course with a dentil course and egg-and-dart course, and has stone surrounds at each window bay, all topped by keystones and carved ornament. The facade is crowned by a black metal roof cornice with console brackets and a dentil course. The ground floor is occupied by Shimizu restaurant at the west end. The hotel contains 160 guest rooms and suites.

www.wjhotel.com/