SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010
KLMNO D.C.’s oldest bar, oldest hotel? That’s a tricky question.
other night: What is the oldest continuously operating bar in Washington, D.C., proper? What is the oldest continuously operating hotel? —Nicholas Thimmesch, Reston
O Many establishments in
Washington claim to the oldest this or the oldest that, but the words “continuously operating” are the key to answering these questions. For example, the Old Ebbitt
Grill calls itself Washington’s “oldest, most historic saloon,” tracing its origins to 1856. That may be true, but the Ebbitt has changed hands and moved several times over the years. In 1970, it became part of the Clyde’s chain and has been at its 15th Street NW location only since 1983. The Willard Intercontinental’s
Web site says that the Pennsylvania Avenue NW hotel “has been the center of the social and political life in Washington, D.C., since it first opened in 1818.” But the current Beaux-Arts building dates only from 1901, and the hotel was closed between 1968 to 1986, when it reopened in restored splendor. Barring evidence to the
contrary, Answer Man suggests that Billy Martin’s Tavern at Wisconsin and N streets NW in Georgetown is the city’s oldest bar. It was opened in 1933 — the year Prohibition ended — by William S. Martin, who emigrated from Ireland in the 1890s. Martin ran the bar with his
son, Georgetown University grad William G. Martin. The current owner, Billy Martin, represents the fourth generation to run the tavern. As befits a place that’s been around so long in such a fashionable neighborhood, Martin’s has seen its share of
location since then.) As for the oldest continuously
operating hotel, it’s the Hotel Harrington, at 11th and E streets NW. “For a while, it was a continual
battle with the Hotel Washington,” the Harrington’s general manager, Ann Terry, told Answer Man during a recent tour. “They were saying they were the oldest, but they’re from 1917.” The Hotel Harrington beats the
Hotel Washington — now a boutique hostelry called the W Washington — by three years: The initial six-story wing of the Harrington opened in 1914. Two 11-story additions were added over the years. The hotel was built by Charles McCutchen and Harrington Mills. Ann said the name was selected after it was decided that “the
COLLECTION OF JERRY A. MCCOY
A postcard of the Hotel Harrington, open since 1914, Washington’s oldest continuously operating hotel.
famous clients, including every sitting president from Truman to the most recent Bush. John F. Kennedy is said to have proposed to Jackie in Booth 3. These days, Chris Matthews is a regular. Incidentally, while Martin’s
may be the oldest bar, it does not possess the city’s oldest liquor license. The very first D.C. liquor license granted after the end of Prohibition went to the people who needed it most: the National Press Club. (That august establishment has changed
Hotel McCutchen” was too much of a mouthful. The same two families still own the 300-room hotel.
Given that it’s the common denominator in both our longevity winners, a family connection must count for something. Corporate ownership does not seem conducive to continuity.
Last call The vanished nightlife of
Washington will be the subject of a panel discussion June 26 at the Historical Society of Washington. Local filmmaker and history buff Jeff Krulik will moderate and will pull from a collection that includes photos, postcards and menus of such places as the
ld D.C. friends and I were pondering two things about Washington the
JOHN KELLY’S WASHINGTON
Showboat Lounge, Bassin’s and the Lotus. Among the panelists will be John Pagones, The Washington Post’s nightlife columnist from 1960 to 1967. “I personally think that it was a more interesting time,” John, 84, said of that era. “It appeared to me that it was more romantic.” The free presentation, “Eat, Drink and Be Merry in 1950-60s D.C.,” is at 2:30 p.m. For information, visit
www.historydc.org or call 202-383-1850.
Send a Kid to Camp Camp Moss Hollow opens
Monday. Please help brighten a needy child’s summer by making a tax-deductible contribution. Mail a check or money order, payable to “Send a Kid to Camp,” to P.O. Box 96237, Washington, D.C. 20090-6237. Or contribute online by going to www.
washingtonpost.com/camp and clicking on the donation link. To use MasterCard or Visa by phone, call 202-334-5100 and follow the instructions on our taped message.
Has Answer Man missed an earlier bar or hotel? E-mail him at
kellyj@washpost.com.
ANIMAL WATCH
Why the raccoon wears a mask
STERLING, Cascades Parkway,
June 8. A woman reported that a raccoon had tried to steal her purse at Algonkian Regional Park. The woman grabbed the purse from the raccoon before it escaped into the woods empty- handed.
Among cases handled by the Loudoun County Department of Animal Care and Control.
S
C3 Father’s Day centennial
Sonora Smart Dodd championed the first Father’s Day 100 years ago to recognize her widowed father, who raised his six children. Here is a by-the-numbers look at today’s fathers.
67.8 million estimated number of fathers
across the nation. 25.8
million number of
fathers who were part of married- couple families with children younger than 18 in 2009.
158,000
estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2009. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 290,000 children. Among these stay-at-home dads, 59 percent had two or more children.
NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A poster announcing the centennial celebration of Father’s Day portrays Sonora Smart Dodd, whose father, William Smart, inspired the holiday.
1.7 million number of single fathers in 2009; 15 percent of single parents were men;
8 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18. 47%
0 20 20 DIVORCED 40 40
NEVER MARRIED 29%
60 60 53% and 71%
TIME WITH DAD, according to a 2006 study 36%
percentages of children younger than 6 who ate breakfast and dinner, respectively, with their father every day. The
corresponding percentages who ate with their mother were 58 percent and 80 percent. (The percentages of children who ate breakfast with their mother or father, respectively, were not significantly different from each other.)
SOURCE: Census Bureau reports
percentage of children younger than 6 who had had 15 or more outings with their father in the last month.
6
average number of times children ages 3 to 5 had been read to by their fathers in the past week.
66%
percentage of children younger than 6 who were praised three or more times a day by their fathers.
THE WASHINGTON POST 80 80 SEPARATED WIDOWED 18% 5% 100 100
Percentage raising three or more children
younger than 18 (among married- couple family households only).
22%
For young Sikhs, a tie that binds them to their faith by Rick Rojas
Guransh Singh knelt at the al- tar as his priest and uncles un- furled yards of a salmon-colored fabric. His family and friends, beaming with pride, chanted in the temple as the men crowded around the 14-year-old, tucking and tying, until they had wrapped his head with a turban for the first time. With that, Guransh became a
man. Like a bar mitzvah or confir-
mation, he went through a rite of passage in the Sikh faith Sat- urday, marking the time when he was firm enough in his beliefs to make a lifetime commitment. The turban-tying ceremony, called Dastar Bandi, included hymns and prayers accompa- nied by musical instruments rooted in the religion’s South Asian heritage. Sikhism, one of the world’s largest religions, is not related to Islam.
According to their beliefs,
Guransh Singh, 14, center, takes part in his Dastar Bandi, a turban-tying ceremony that signifies his becoming a man and making a commitment to his faith.
According to Sikh beliefs, men cannot cut their hair and are required to cover their heads daily.
MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST
and long, untrimmed beards — has led to misconceptions. Some Sikhs have been subjected to slurs and discrimination. There have been cases in which a Sikh’s hair has been cut, and they have been prosecuted as hate crimes. It even shows up on television: the dunderheaded manager in the NBC sitcom “The Office” fears that the Sikh IT worker is a terrorist. Sarabjeet Kapoor, a 26-year-
old lawyer from Falls Church, said he has been called Osama bin Laden and been given dirty looks while riding the Metro train. “You wouldn’t say something
like that to anyone except for me,” he said. “People cower away from you.”
Although, he adds with a
men cannot cut their hair and are required to cover their heads daily with a turban. “For a Sikh, it is a beautiful ceremony,” said Sartaj Singh Dhami, a member of the Sikh
temple at the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in Rockville who works with the temple’s youth. “He is going to be walking forward in society with a turban on, and this is a way to say that
2 victims of pair of D.C. shootings die
by Clarence Williams and Martin Weil
Two of the six people shot late
Friday night in separate incidents in the District have died, D.C. po- lice said. One victim was a 16- year-old District youth, and the other was a 36-year-old Clinton man. The shootings occurred within an hour and 10 minutes, one in the 800 block of Yuma Street in the Washington Highlands sec- tion of Southeast and the other miles away in the 5900 block of
Georgia Avenue in the Bright- wood section of Northwest. The four other victims in the shootings suffered wounds that were not considered life-threat- ening. The slain teenager was identi-
fied Saturday by police as Jamaal Bell of First Street NW. Police said he was one of three people shot about 11: 30 p.m. after a go- go concert in the Georgia Avenue corridor. Several fights broke out during the concert, and it was ended early, police said. A group of young people, many of them described as teenagers,
LOTTERIES June 19
DISTRICT Mid-Day Lucky Numbers:
Mid-Day D.C. 4: Mid-Day DC-5:
Lucky Numbers (Fri.): Lucky Numbers (Sat.): D.C. 4 (Fri.): D.C. 4 (Sat.): DC-5 (Fri.): DC-5 (Sat.): Daily 6 (Fri.): Daily 6 (Sat.):
MARYLAND Mid-Day Pick 3:
Mid-Day Pick 4:
Night/Pick 3 (Fri.): Pick 3 (Sat.): Pick 4 (Fri.): Pick 4 (Sat.): Match 5 (Fri.): Match 5 (Sat.):
6-2-9 0-4-6-7
8-9-7-9-9 1-0-4 3-3-7
4-0-5-9 0-1-4-6
2-9-6-4-0 2-1-1-5-4
3-6-24-26-27-34 *18 2-5-8-20-24-37 *23
2-8-4
2-4-2-8 2-8-2 7-0-6
1-2-2-3 1-9-9-7
11-17-26-30-36 *6 1-10-26-28-29 *32
VIRGINIA Day/Pick-3:
Pick-4: Cash-5:
Night/Pick-3 (Fri.): Pick-3 (Sat.): Pick-4 (Fri.): Pick-4 (Sat.): Cash-5 (Fri.): Cash-5 (Sat.): Win for Life:
MULTI-STATE GAMES Powerball:
Power Play:
Mega Millions: Hot Lotto:
8-2-4 8-5-8-2
11-14-16-22-31 1-4-0 N/A
0-9-0-8 N/A
1-9-22-28-31 N/A N/A
N/A N/A
11-36-37-41-55 **7 N/A
*Bonus Ball **Mega Ball ***Powerball †Hot Ball ‡Free Ball All winning lottery numbers are official only when validated at a lottery ticket location or a lottery claims office. Because of late drawings, some results do not appear in early editions. For late lottery results, check
www.washingtonpost.com/lottery.
began walking away from the scene of the concert, heading south along Georgia Avenue. Just below of Peabody Street,
near Missouri Avenue NW, they encountered a larger group of about 50 people, who had gath- ered there. Shots were fired toward the smaller group, police said.
According to a preliminary in-
vestigation, Bell was hit in the head. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Two young women, who were in their late teens, were struck in the legs. They walked to a nearby firehouse to call for help. They were also taken to hospitals by D.C. fire and emergency medical services workers. A fourth person was injured at the scene, and at first authorities believed that he had also been shot. It was later determined that he was injured when a plate-glass window was smashed. The man killed in the night’s other shooting was identified by police as Cornell K. Yates, of Bick- ford Avenue in Clinton. Investigators said early Satur-
day that a group of people had gathered outdoors on Yuma Street when someone walked up about 10: 20 p.m. and fired. Yates died at a hospital. The
two wounded people, who were described as being in their 30s or 40s, were also taken to hospitals. No specific motive was given in the shootings. As of late Saturday, no arrests had been reported.
williamsc@washpost.com weilm@washpost.com
SUMMER SPECIALS AT MR WASH
1311 13th St. NW, Washington, DC 101 N Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA
ANY CAR WASH AT MR WASH!
3407 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 540 Maple Ave., Vienna, VA
50% OFF!
Qualifying products up to $1500 Energy Tax Credit!
$189
WE SELL ENERGY STAR
703-378-7999
7996 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 3817 Dupont Ave., Kensington, MD 420 S Van Dorn St., Alexandria, VA 3013 Gallows Rd., Falls Church, VA
VALID FOR 5 DAYS ONLY! One time use per coupon. One offer only per coupon. No copies accepted.
www.mrwash.com Expires 6/24/10. CODE 2493 Present original coupon prior to wash. Not valid with any other offers.
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
Any Size White Double-Hung
Window INSTALLED!* *3 Window Minimum Up to 4ft Wide x 7ft Tall
of DC Inc.
“Simply the Best for Less” MHIC #1222286 VA License #2705274538 Class A 4116 Walney Rd., Ste. - J, Chantilly, VA 20151
www.windowworlddc.com
we are with him.” And, as many Sikhs say, carry- ing out their faith in American society does come with difficul- ties in the post-Sept. 11 world. The image of Sikhism — turbans
smile, “The good thing is, no one sits next to me on the Metro.” The situation has created an “identity crisis” for Sikhs, Dha- mi said. Many young Sikhs cut their hair or trim their beards to blend in.
But Guransh’s father, Rajwant Singh, said his son has become “conscious of his faith” and is mature and knowledgeable enough to live it in his everyday life.
During the hours-long service
at the temple Saturday, Guransh stood next to Sikh holy scrip- tures placed on an ornate altar. He sang a hymn and performed on the harmonium, an air-based piano, and the tabla, a percus- sion instrument central to a Sikh religious service. Guransh has prepared for the event since last summer. The leader of the congrega- tion, Bhai Gurdarshan Singh, said that the young men, usually in their early teens, must under- stand that what they are having tied on their head isn’t simply a turban. It is what “dastar” means in Punjab: a crown, a symbol of the Sikh faith. “It is not to tell others who we
are,” Singh said. “It is a reminder to myself who I am.”
rojasr@washpost.com
Payment Options
Available
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170