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Article: Ownership dream in reach; U Street residents aim to keep former Dunbar Hotel site.(CITIZEN JOURNALISM: DISTRICT)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- May 13, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Sandra Butler-Truesdale, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The modern sights of U Street Northwest belie the history of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Hotel that was once at the intersection of 15th and U streets.
Before public accommodations were integrated in the nation's capital, the Dunbar Hotel was the only major hotel where blacks could stay. Performers such as Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Pearl Bailey and D.C. native son Duke Ellington were patrons.
The Dunbar Hotel was to the District what the Hotel Theresa was to Harlem in New York City. The Dunbar, opened to blacks in 1946, was a grand ...