32 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Hotel Washington, R. P. Daggett & Co.: Architects

Description:	Hotel Washington, 32 E. Washington St.,Indianapolis, R. P. Daggett & Co.: Architects[HISTORY: Hotel Washington was designed by the architecture firm R.P. Daggett & Co. as a first-class hotel for J. Edward Krauss in 1912. Remodeled in 1938 by later owner E.W. Benson, it closed in 1965 after Benson’s death. The hotel was remodeled and reopened in 1965 as an apartment building, then remodeled yet again in 1982 as an office building. Hotel Washington was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. BUILDING DESCRIPTION: This seventeen-story hotel is built of steel and masonry fireproof construction. The main façade is three bays wide and uses the classical architectural formula. The “base” is three stories in height and faced with limestone. The repeating ten stories of the “column shaft” have limestone window sills and contiguous lintels. The fourteenth floor windows are framed with limestone, and a cornice separates it from the top three floors that form a “capital” with segmental windows and another cornice. SIGNIFICANT FEATURES: Many of the hotel’s original features remain, including the storefront detailing, ornate limestone, unpainted brick masonry, and window and bay configuration. Divided-lite windows dress up the transoms of the storefront and windows and doors opening onto the second-floor balcony. Foliar moldings are carved into the limestone at the base and capital levels along with exaggerated keystones and pillars. A limestone “W” enclosed by a circle is located at the ends of the entablature on each side. A unique aspect of this building is that much of the detailing wraps around the secondary facades, particularly at the “base” and “capital.” Paired one-over-one windows on the Washington Street elevation as well as on the east and west secondary elevations reflect the building’s original use as a hotel providing an abundance of natural light. -Monument Circle District Historic Preservation Plan, Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission p. 149] Yes
Created By:	McLaughlin, H. Roll
Source:	http://iuidigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17312coll4/id/350
Collection:	Indiana Landmarks H. Roll McLaughlin Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Indiana Landmarks. Copyright permissions granted for educational use by Indiana Landmarks
Geography:	Monument Circle District Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, United States, http://sws.geonames.org/4259418/, 39.7670426 -86.1570476 Indianapolis Marion Indiana 39.7670426 -86.1570476
Subjects:	Built Environment Historic buildings -- Indiana Architecture -- Indiana hotel Classical Revival

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