Jefferson Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Jefferson Hotel is a luxury hotel in Richmond, Virginia
. It is one of 27 American hotels with Mobil Five Star
and AAA Five Diamond
Hotel ratings. It is accompanied by Lemaire, a Five Diamond Restaurant named after Etienne Lemaire, who served as maitre d'hotel to Thomas Jefferson
from 1794 through the end of his presidency.
began building the hotel in 1892 and opened it in 1895. Designed by Carrère and Hastings
, the same architecture firm that designed the New York Public Library
, it burned in 1901 and was restored and reopened in 1907.
Patrons have included presidents, writers, and celebrities, including The Rolling Stones
, Dolly Parton
, Henry James
, and Elvis Presley
. For many decades, the hotel was the home of Historic Garden Week
.
In his autobiography, The Moon's A Balloon, Academy Award-winning actor David Niven
described how he was on a trip from New York to Florida in the late 1930s when he decided to spend the night at the Jefferson Hotel. Niven stated that as he was signing the guest registry, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full-sized alligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk. Alligators at the Jefferson would become world famous, and the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, named Old Pompey, remained there until he died in 1948.
Local urban legend
has it that tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
was discovered while working as a bellhop
at the hotel. However, this is most likely untrue. When the Jefferson Hotel opened in 1895, Robinson (then 16) was already touring with traveling shows on the black theater circuit.
Another urban legend states that the Grand Staircase in the lobby was featured in the classic movie Gone with the Wind
. According to the concierge
, the author of the novel, Margaret Mitchell
, stayed at the Jefferson during the time she was writing the book, and thus the description and portrayal of the staircase in her novel is said to be inspired by the one in the hotel. The 1981 film My Dinner with Andre
, however, was entirely shot inside the hotel.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. It is one of 27 American hotels with Mobil Five Star
Mobil Guide
Forbes Travel Guide is a star rating service and series of travel guides for hotels, restaurants and spas. In 2011, Forbes Travel Guide published its last set of guidebooks and as of November 15, 2011, launched its new web 3.0 platform and online home, , which covers 72 U.S...
and AAA Five Diamond
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
Hotel ratings. It is accompanied by Lemaire, a Five Diamond Restaurant named after Etienne Lemaire, who served as maitre d'hotel to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
from 1794 through the end of his presidency.
History
Tobacco baron Lewis GinterLewis Ginter
Major Lewis Ginter was a prominent businessman, army officer, and philanthropist in Richmond, VirginiaOf Dutch ancestry, he was born Lewis Guenther in New York City, New York, and moved to Richmond, Virginia, in 1842. Ginter had a number of careers, arguably making and losing a fortune three times...
began building the hotel in 1892 and opened it in 1895. Designed by Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings , located in New York City, was one of the outstanding Beaux-Arts architecture firms in the United States. The partnership operated from 1885 until 1911, when Carrère was killed in an automobile accident...
, the same architecture firm that designed the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, it burned in 1901 and was restored and reopened in 1907.
Patrons have included presidents, writers, and celebrities, including The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
, and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. For many decades, the hotel was the home of Historic Garden Week
Historic Garden Week
A pioneering project of the Garden Club of Virginia, Historic Garden Week is a large house tour that runs for a week each April across the Commonwealth of Virginia. In its 78th year, the 2011 tour is of Virginia's most historic houses, as well as a sampling of other notable private residences...
.
In his autobiography, The Moon's A Balloon, Academy Award-winning actor David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
described how he was on a trip from New York to Florida in the late 1930s when he decided to spend the night at the Jefferson Hotel. Niven stated that as he was signing the guest registry, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full-sized alligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk. Alligators at the Jefferson would become world famous, and the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, named Old Pompey, remained there until he died in 1948.
Local urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
has it that tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
was discovered while working as a bellhop
Bellhop
A bellhop, also bellboy or bellman, is a hotel porter, who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform , like certain other page boys or doormen...
at the hotel. However, this is most likely untrue. When the Jefferson Hotel opened in 1895, Robinson (then 16) was already touring with traveling shows on the black theater circuit.
Another urban legend states that the Grand Staircase in the lobby was featured in the classic movie Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. According to the concierge
Concierge
A concierge is an employee who either works in shifts within, or lives on the premises of an apartment building or a hotel and serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler. The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the 'graveyard' shift. A similar position, known as...
, the author of the novel, Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was an American author and journalist. Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937 for her epic American Civil War era novel, Gone with the Wind, which was the only novel by Mitchell published during her lifetime.-Family:Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta,...
, stayed at the Jefferson during the time she was writing the book, and thus the description and portrayal of the staircase in her novel is said to be inspired by the one in the hotel. The 1981 film My Dinner with Andre
My Dinner with Andre
My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.-Plot:...
, however, was entirely shot inside the hotel.