Hilton Washington
Encyclopedia
The Hilton Washington is a hotel
in Washington, D.C.
It is located at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., roughly at the boundaries of the Kalorama
, Dupont Circle
, and Adams Morgan
neighborhoods.
Developed by Uris Brothers and built in 1965 in a double-arched design, the hotel long sported the largest pillar-less hotel ballroom
in the city. Numerous large events have been regularly hosted at the Hilton Washington, including the annual dinners of the White House Correspondents Association and the Radio and Television Correspondents Association, as well as the National Prayer Breakfast
.
The hotel was the site of the assassination attempt
on President Ronald Reagan
by John Hinckley, Jr.
on March 30, 1981. The attempt occurred at the hotel's T Street NW exit.
The hotel was purchased in June 2007 by an investment firm jointly owned by former professional basketball
star Magic Johnson
.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It is located at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., roughly at the boundaries of the Kalorama
Kalorama, Washington, D.C.
The Kalorama area within the Northwest Quadrangle of Washington, D.C., includes two adjacent, quite affluent historical residential neighborhoods, Kalorama Triangle and Sheridan-Kalorama. The area is accessible from the Dupont Circle and Woodley Park Metro stations, as well as various bus lines...
, Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
, and Adams Morgan
Adams Morgan
Adams Morgan is a culturally diverse neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., centered at the intersection of 18th Street and Columbia Road. Adams Morgan is considered the center of Washington's Hispanic immigrant community, and is a major night life area with many bars and restaurants,...
neighborhoods.
Developed by Uris Brothers and built in 1965 in a double-arched design, the hotel long sported the largest pillar-less hotel ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
in the city. Numerous large events have been regularly hosted at the Hilton Washington, including the annual dinners of the White House Correspondents Association and the Radio and Television Correspondents Association, as well as the National Prayer Breakfast
National Prayer Breakfast
The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., on the first Thursday of February each year. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide...
.
The hotel was the site of the assassination attempt
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
on President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
by John Hinckley, Jr.
John Hinckley, Jr.
John Warnock Hinckley, Jr., attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981, as the culmination of an effort to impress teen actress Jodie Foster. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has remained under institutional psychiatric care since...
on March 30, 1981. The attempt occurred at the hotel's T Street NW exit.
The hotel was purchased in June 2007 by an investment firm jointly owned by former professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
star Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
.