National Hotel, historic hotel in Washington, DC
The National Hotel was a large building in Washington, D.C., founded in 1826 by John Gadsby and located at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street NW. Over more than 100 years, it expanded from a row of townhouses into a massive structure that could accommodate over 1,000 guests.
The hotel was founded in 1826 and housed presidents from Andrew Jackson to Abraham Lincoln during their visits. A pivotal moment occurred in 1857 when a mysterious illness, later identified as sewer gas, struck many guests and became known as the 'National Hotel sickness.'
The hotel served as a gathering place where politicians, Southern sympathizers, and visitors debated and socialized within its walls. Its famous terrapin dinners and extensive wine collection made it a social hub where influential figures met and conducted business.
The hotel no longer exists, having been demolished in 1942 during World War II. The site at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street NW, near the Capitol and the White House, is now occupied by modern buildings.
John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, stayed in Room 228 in 1864 and met with other actors there. Some accounts report supernatural encounters with Booth and other guests who died at the location.
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