| Jefferson Hotel | |
|---|---|
 The historic Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond | |
 Interactive map of the Jefferson Hotel area | |
| General information | |
| Location | 101 W Franklin St.,Richmond,Virginia, U.S., 23220[1] |
| Coordinates | 37°32′39.42″N77°26′43.09″W / 37.5442833°N 77.4453028°W /37.5442833; -77.4453028 |
| Opening | October 31, 1895 |
| Owner | CCA Financial[2] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 166 |
| Number of suites | 15 |
| Number of restaurants | 2 |
| Parking | on-site valet and self parking |
| Website | |
| www.jeffersonhotel.com | |
Jefferson Hotel | |
  Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | 104 W. Main St.,Richmond,Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°32′39″N77°26′44″W / 37.54417°N 77.44556°W /37.54417; -77.44556 |
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Carrère and Hastings, J. Kevan Peebles |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th century American Movements |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000351[3] |
| VLR No. | 127-0001 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 4, 1969 |
| Designated VLR | November 5, 1968[4] |
TheJefferson Hotel is a luxury hotel inRichmond,Virginia, United States, opened in 1895. In 1969,[5] it was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
The Jefferson is a member ofHistoric Hotels of America, the official program of theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.[6] On site is "Lemaire", a restaurant named after Etienne Lemaire, who served asmaitre d'hotel toThomas Jefferson from 1794 through the end of his presidency.
Tobacco baronLewis Ginter planned the development of the hotel as a premier property in the city of Richmond. It was designed in the Spanish Baroque Style byCarrère and Hastings, noted national architects based inNew York City who later designed theNew York Public Library. Construction began in 1892 and the hotel opened for business on October 31, 1895.[7] After a fire gutted the interior of the hotel in 1901, it had a lengthy restoration. It reopened in 1907. It has received restorations and upgrades of systems through the years.
Patrons have included thirteen United States presidents, writers, and celebrities, includingHenry James,Charles Lindbergh,The Rolling Stones,Dolly Parton,Elvis Presley, andAnthony Hopkins.[8]
On March 29, 1901, there was a wire fire that destroyed three-fifths of the hotel. There were no casualties; however, the marble statue of Thomas Jefferson sculpted byEdward Virginius Valentine was almost destroyed. The sculptor and crew pushed the statue on a mattress and pulled it to safety. During the rescue process, the head broke off.[9][citation needed] Eventually, the sculpture was repaired. In March 1944, another fire occurred. Six people were killed during the fire.[citation needed]
In the check-in lobby, known as the Palm Court, nine original stained glass Tiffany windows with the hotel's monogram remain. The three stained glass windows above the front desk and the stained glass dome are reproductions.[citation needed]
In his autobiographyThe Moon's a Balloon (1972), Academy Award-winning actorDavid Niven described a trip from New York to Florida in the late 1930s, during which he decided to spend the night at the Jefferson Hotel. Niven said that, as he was signing the guest registry in the lobby, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full-sizedalligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk.[10] The alligators at the Jefferson became world-famous. Old Pompey, the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, survived until 1948.[11][a] Bronze statues of the alligators now decorate the hotel. Its restaurant, Lemaire, has a theme of alligator motifs.[12]
The hotel and its restaurant were used for filming interior scenes for the 1981 American filmMy Dinner with Andre, featuringWallace Shawn andAndre Gregory.[13]
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