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Brooks McCabe, Collector, Records of the Hotel Kanawha

 Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3760

Scope and Contents

Records of the Hotel Kanawha, including two ledgers containing a cash journal (July 1917 to March 1921) and guest register (one year in the period ca. 1903-1920). The Hotel Kanawha was constructed in 1903, and served as Charleston's premier hotel until 1965. It was later used by the Job Corps of West Virginia until 1997. The building was demolished in 2003.

Transactions in the cash journal are arranged chronologically, and include incoming and outgoing for the same day arranged on facing pages (verso and recto). Incoming cash is categorized by hotel, cafe, cafeteria, pool, long distance calls, house phone, laundry, tailor, and sundries; outgoing cash is categorized by stores, cafeteria, laundry, tailor, payroll, office, kitchen, deposits, and sundries.

Transactions in the guest register are arranged alphabetically by last name, chronologically therein, and are within the months of January through October. It is currently estimated that the ledger dates from between 1903, when the Hotel opened, to ca. 1920. Rates average one to two dollars per day. Listings include entries under headings titled: room number, name, date, number of days, rate, telephone, express baggage, tailor, cash, bar and cigars, total, and paid.

Dates

  • Creation: ca. 1903-1921

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (Summary: 6 in. (1 unboxed ledger, 1 boxed ledger))

Overview

Records of the Hotel Kanawha, including two ledgers. One contains a cash journal (July 1917 to March 1921) and the other a guest register (one year in the period ca. 1903-1920). The Hotel Kanawha was constructed in 1903 and served as Charleston's premier hotel until 1965. It was later used by the Job Corps of West Virginia until 1997. The building was demolished in 2003.

Physical Location

West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/

Subject

Title
Brooks McCabe, Collector, Records of the Hotel Kanawha, ca. 1903-1921
Author
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Date
2011/02/22
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository

Contact:
1549 University Ave.
P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown WV 26506-6069 US
304-293-3536