Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1878 — The Opening of the Women’s Hotel in New York City. [ARTICLE]

The Opening of the Women’s Hotel in New York City.

The formal opening of A. T. Stewart’s Hotel for Women took place last night, and about 30,000“ persons were present to examine the vast structure. There were no ceremonies of any kind, although Mrs. A. T. Stewart and ex- . Judge Hilton were in attendance for a brief time. The visitors simply flocked into the rooms, examining everything that was to be seen, and tnen retired, or attempted to retire, for the crush was so great that at one time it was equally Impossible to advance or retreat. The building has often been described. The eight-story building is 200 feet square, and covers fourteen lots. The principal eastern facade overlooks Fourth avenue and the stables of the Fourth Avenue Railroad Company. A hundred feet square is devoted to an interior court, provided with a fine fountain and parterres of flowers. Gn the outside, above the store floor, there are 369 windows looking into the street, all being provided with inside blinds. There are 852 windows looking into the court-yard. The first story is painted dark brown, the pillars being colored in imitation of red granite. The upper stories are painted a light drab, with a tint of green, the projections and copings being of a drab a shade darker. A sky-blue ornamental railing surmounts the mansard roof. The entrance is provided with a heavy portico and balcony, and over it the building is carried up an additional story, which produces something of the effect of a tower. The Thirty-second street side of the ground floor will receive the supplies for the hotel, and here also are the public restaurants, where prepared food will be sold at cost prices, but not to be eaten on the premises. There are thiry-eight store-rooms fronting on Fourth avenue and Thirty-second and. Thirty-third streets, which will be rented to different classes of retail merchants. Above the basement and ground floor there are the reception rooms, the dining-saloon, dining room, library and 502 sleeping-rooms. It is expected that the hotel will accommodate from 800 to 1,000 guests. There are two passenger elevators, one in the office and one on the Thirty-third-street side, and two freight elevators on the Thirty-second-street side. It is said the building cost $3,000,000. The library contains 25,000 volumes. N. Y. Evening Post.