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Memories from a grand past

3 min read

One of the feature stories in next month’s Greene County Living magazine looks at the Fort Jackson Hotel, which functioned as such from 1927 to 1970.

The building is still there, at the corner of High and Washington streets in Waynesburg, but now it houses county government offices.

Early pictures show it was a stately hotel, featuring a grand lobby, a restaurant and 70 rooms to accommodate overnight guests. Frankly, it was quite the place for a town the size of Waynesburg.

Of course, I never had the opportunity, or a reason, to patronize the hotel when it was in its prime. Yet, reading and talking about the Fort Jackson Hotel triggered a touch of nostalgia; you know, that sentimental longing for the past with happy personal associations.

Having grown up and lived in Washington my entire life, I couldn’t help but be transported back to when The George Washington was the George Washington Hotel, also an elegant establishment on Main Street that still serves the public, but not in the way I remember.

My most vivid memory of the hotel was going to the English Room on a floor below the lobby and having dinner with my family. It was usually a special treat, perhaps not so much for my parents but primarily for me and my sisters.

There was a maitre d’ who would check the reservation and escort diners to their table. There was organ music coming from a waiting area just off from the main dining room. I still remember some of the waitresses, and there was a buffet table in the middle of the room that offered the best garlic bread in the world.

Eating there was indeed a civilized experience.

But the George Washington Hotel was more than food. It was where most social activities in Washington took place during several decades of my youth. For years, the hotel played host to the Washington Hospital Charity Ball; it was where junior and senior high school proms were held; and no one would think of having a wedding reception anywhere other than the George Washington Hotel.

I remember seeing a uniformed doorman greeting guests at the entrance off Cherry Avenue and I remember riding the elevator to the second floor, where the ballroom was located. But I never had the opportunity, or reason, to take the elevator to the upper floors. Or so you should believe.

The hotel today still provides a venue for wedding receptions and dining in the Pioneer Grill, a café and a lounge. It offers rooms for guests and it has a who’s who list of people who have stayed there over the last 85 years, including, but not limited to, presidents Kennedy and Truman, Bob Hope, Al Capone and Marilyn Monroe. The hotel also lays claim to hosting The Beatles.

I am extremely glad to see that The George Washington remains a part of the city’s culture and my memories.

I am hoping the hotel provides great memories for those who visit it today, I can assure you they will be long-lasting.

Jon Stevens, Greene County bureau chief, can be reached at jstevens@observer-reporter.com.

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