B&O Railroad Station and Willard Hotel
Introduction
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The city of Grafton thrived when the B&O Railroad came to the area in 1852. The B&O Railroad Station and Willard Hotel in Grafton, West Virginia was constructed in 1911-1912 during the locomotive boom. The station and hotel was built to accommodate the growing number of passengers traveling on the B&O Railroad. It was dedicated on April 12, 1912 with a celebratory banquet attended by several state and local notabilities, as well as railroad executives.
Images
Historic photo of the Willard Hotel. http://www.vandalia.org/grafton.htm
Historic photo of the Grafton B&O Railroad Station and Willard Hotel. http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1265
Backstory and Context
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The station and hotel was built in honor of the B&O Railroad President Daniel Willard. The Willard Hotel was 6-1/2 stories tall and had all the modern amenities for that time period, including a luxurious ballroom. The hotel was built in "Second Empire" style "with a mansard roof, cut stone trim, and brick corbeled quoins" (Stafford).
By the 1960’s, the Willard Hotel was no longer in service due to the decline of passenger trains and functioned as a place for train crews to stay. The building has been empty since 1988. However, the Vandalia Heritage Foundation began restoring the B&O Railroad and Willard Hotel. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an important landmark in the Grafton Downtown Commercial District.
Sources
Stafford, Margo "Willard Hotel." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 19 November 2010. Web. 01 March 2015.
ABOUT GRAFTON: The Spirit of Grafton. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.graftonwv.org/aboutgrafton.html
Vandalia. (2006). Vandalia Owned Project: Grafton B&O Railroad Station and Willard Hotel, Grafton, WV. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from http://www.vandalia.org/grafton.htm.