Lost Jacksonville: The George Washington Hotel

[Metro Jacksonville]

Lost Jacksonville: The George Washington Hotel



On November 11, 1925, the same month Charles Ponzi's days of selling area swampland to real estate investors were coming to an end, Robert Kloeppel announced his intentions to construct the largest and most magnificent hotel in Jacksonville.  Kloeppel, who owned the Flagler Hotel near the train station at the time, had arrived in Jacksonville from Germany two decades earlier broke and penniless.




Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-jan-lost-jacksonville-the-george-washington-hotel

[Noone]

Thanks again for the history.

[vicupstate]

Never knew The Beatles had ever performed in Jax.  A real shame that the building was lost. 

[Charles Hunter]

Interesting article.  I remember (dimly) going with my parents to events at the GW.
Just a minor nit - unless it was an antique car convention, I don't think the exterior picture at the beginning of the article is from 1960.

[thelakelander]

Thanks, for catching that.

[I-10east]

Where exactly was the footprint of the GWH (which surface lot)? The virtual address is listed 200 Julia St. Because I've seen GWH's wiki, and even a MJ article saying that this hotel is now the site of the Federal Courthouse which was actually the Robert Meyer Hotel.

[mbwright]

Sad.  Such grandeur lost.

[thelakelander]

Where exactly was the footprint of the GWH (which surface lot)? The virtual address is listed 200 Julia St. Because I've seen GWH's wiki, and even a MJ article saying that this hotel is now the site of the Federal Courthouse which was actually the Robert Meyer Hotel.

The GW was located at the NW corner of Julia and Adams Streets.  It's the block what all the courthouse trailers on it.


It's the paved parking lot bounded by Adams, Julia, Monroe, and Pearl Streets.

[thelakelander]

Here is the intersection of Clay and Adams on Armistice Day in 1946.  The GW is the tallest building in the background.  The tall building further back is the Carling.  Every building before the GW in this image has been torn down one-by-one over time, eventually becoming the new courthouse's green space.


Image courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/65092

[I-10east]

^^^Thanks for the info Lake.

[Dapperdan]

Why was it torn down to begin with? Were there maitenance issues? I guess in 1973 the building would have been about 48 years old. I assume up until this point it had been taken care of.

[BackinJax05]

My mom graduated from Andrew Jackson High School at the Hotel George Washington in 1952. Sad, now. Both the HGW and mom are gone.

[ben says]

Great history, but borderline unbearable to look at the pictures/take it all in.

[Brian Buchanan]

of course because the redneck hillbillie-bible thumpers who run this town dont know s87t!!! and cant appreciate anthing. except making sure gay people dont have equal rights...to which first baptist churh gives a standing ovation!!!

[BIG CHEESE 723]

VICUPSTATE  The Beatles were definitely here!  Performed in the old Gator Bowl.  This was right after Hurricane Dora.  The only reason I got to go see them is because they were giving away dry ice somewhere nearby and we still had no electricity.  My daddy dropped me off on is way to pick up the ice.  It was blowing a gale that night.  The Beatles were in the north end and I was in the southeast section.  All I could really see was their hair blowing like crazy in the wind.
The GW was one of many hotels and other buildings that I would gaze across the river at night.  My daddy used to go shrimping at the end of Holmesdale Rd. in SS.  I loved to sit and watch all those lights glowing downtown.  The GW and a lot of others had lights blazing out their name on the rooftops.