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The WP as you see it today is a far cry from the private residence previously erected
on the same site, although both have interesting histories. If only the walls could
talk! The predecessor to the WP was a stately mansion built circa 1843. It had several
owners, but came to be known as the Wylie House when it was the home of a judge presiding
over a Lincoln assassination conspiracy trial. A fire in 1947 destroyed a significant
portion of the house, and it was torn down.
In 1962, the modern epoch of No. 10 Thomas Circle began. The International Inn hotel
chain wanted to build a contemporary hotel at this location, in what became the turning
point of the neighborhood's transition from residential to commercial. The architect
hired for the project was the famous and controversial architect, Morris Lapidus, born
in Russia in 1902. He is best known for the Fontainebleu, the Eden Roc, and the Lincoln
Road Mall, all located in Miami Beach and built between 1954 and 1960. What distinguished
these buildings from the trends of the time were Lapidus' insistence on designing with
the guest in mind, not the owners. Thus he devised "stairways to nowhere", sweeping access
to nothing more than restrooms and the coat check! The appeal was that, having shed their
wraps, guests could showcase their arrival and a la mode outfits as they made a grand
entrance to the lobby and restaurant. Visitors loved Lapidus' hotels.
The WP building has its own special Lapidus features, also much appreciated by guests.
The hallways are curved, so that a weary traveler finding his room is never confronted
with more than a few doors at a time, rather than a seemingly endless row of
indistinguishable doors. To make the landmark pool usable throughout the year, it was
originally covered with a moveable glass dome, allowing guests to enjoy the pool in
inclement weather, and affording fabulous views of a moonlit sky on wintry nights. The
popularity of the pool outlasted the dome itself, which was removed due to maintenance
problems in 1981. You will find that the pool is still a year-round treat, whether it
provides a calming view on a brisk day, or a refreshing place to relax and dine in finer
weather.
Excerpted from an article by Paul Kelsey Williams, Historic Preservation Specialist,
Kelsey & Associates, Washington, D.C.
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