Whitelaw Hotel

The Whitelaw Hotel is an apartment building in Renaissance Revival style located in Washington's U Street Corridor. Its U-shaped layout features buff-colored brick walls, limestone detailing, and classical architectural elements throughout.

The building opened in 1919 as the first African American apartment-hotel in Washington during the era of racial segregation. It was built when other hotels refused to serve Black guests.

The building served as a gathering place where African American entertainers and professionals could meet and socialize during a time when other hotels excluded them. It became a center of activity for performers, musicians, and businesspeople visiting the capital.

The building is located in the U Street Corridor, a neighborhood that is easy to explore on foot and has good public transportation connections. The area offers nearby shops and services that make visiting straightforward.

The entire project was financed and built by African American entrepreneurs, investors, architects, and craftspeople. This was remarkable because Black professionals rarely had opportunities to lead major construction projects at that time.