Booker T. Washington Hotel

The Booker T. Washington Hotel, located in Asheville, was listed in the Green Book in 1940, 1947-1957, and 1959-1967. It was listed as “Booker T. Washington—409 Southside Ave.” under “Hotels” in 1940 and 1947-1955 and as “Booker T. Washington Hotel—409 Southside Ave. from 1956-1957 and 1959-1967. The James-Keys Hotel was listed at the same address; however, the Booker T. Washington Hotel closed between 1943 and 1944 and became the James-Keys Hotel. See separate entry for the James-Keys hotel here: https://aahc.nc.gov/green-book/james-keys-hotel.¹

The Booker T. Washington Hotel first opened at 409 ½ Southside Avenue in 1930. The hotel was owned or managed by Herbie P. Alexander, Garland and Dell Hull, and Minnie McDowell in its early years. Pullman Cafe opened at 409 Southside around 1935.²

Leo Williams took ownership of the restaurant at 409 Southside around 1937. 409 ½ Southside sat vacant from 1937-1938. In 1939, the city directory listed The Booker T. Washington Theatre and Criterion Hotel at 409 Southside and the Booker T. Washington Lunch Shop at 409 ½ Southside. Ralph E. Worthy and Harold Foster were the hotel’s proprietors.³

Local businessman Ira Angel took ownership of the hotel in 1940, adding the Criterion Ballroom. He brought the hotel back to its roots in 1941, renaming it the Booker T. Washington Hotel and Ballroom. He operated the hotel until 1943. The hotel reopened as the James-Keys Hotel, listed separately in the Green Book, in 1944.⁴

Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2022

Notes

1. Victor Green, 1940 Green Book, 35; Green, 1947 Green Book, 64; Green, 1948 Green Book, 61; Green, 1949 Green Book, 55; Green, 1950 Green Book, 61; Green, 1951 Green Book, 52; Green, 1952 Green Book, 52; Green, 1953 Green Book, 52; Green, 1954 Green Book, 52; Green, 1955 Green Book, 52; Victor Green, 1956 Green Book, 45; Green, 1957 Green Book, 46; Green, 1959 Green Book, 51; Green, 1960 Green Book, 72; Green, 1961 Green Book, 62; Green, 1962 Green Book, 73; Green, 1963-1964 Green Book, 57; Green, 1966-1967 Green Book, 57; Miller’s 1942 Asheville City Directory, 795 (street listing); Miller’s 1943 Asheville City Directory, 37 (street listing); Miller’s 1944 Asheville City Directory, 155 (street listing); Miller’s 1945-1946 Asheville City Directory, 161 (street listing). 

2. Miller’s 1931 Asheville City Directory, 988 (street listing), 369, 388 (alphabetical listing); The Directory Company 1932 Asheville City Directory, 906 (street listing), 366 (alphabetical listing); Miller’s 1935 Asheville City Directory, 88 (street listing), 342, 420 (alphabetical listing), 717 (classified listing).

3. Miller’s 1937 Asheville City Directory, 58 (street listing); Miller’s 1938 Asheville City Directory, 743 (street listing); Miller’s 1939 Asheville City Directory, 142 (alphabetical listing), 673 (street listing). 

4. Miller’s 1940 Asheville City Directory, 36 (alphabetical listing), 648 (street listing); Miller’s 1941 Asheville City Directory, 649 (street listing), 36 (alphabetical listing); Miller’s 1942 Asheville City Directory, 829 (street listing), 45 (street directory); Miller’s 1943 Asheville City Directory, 795 (street listing), 37 (alphabetical listing); Miller’s 1944 Asheville City Directory, 155 (street listing); “James Keys Hotel,” Asheville Citizen-Times, February 17, 1960, digital page 57, accessed from www.newspapers.com. For more information about Ira Angel, see the entry for Palace Grill: https://aahc.nc.gov/green-book/palace-grille-restaurant. 

Did you know?

• This entry was listed as “Booker T. Washington--409 Southside Ave.” under “Hotels” in Asheville in 1940 and 1947-1955. The 1956 Green Book was the first edition without category headings. This entry was continued to be listed as “Booker T. Washington Hotel--409 Southside Ave” from 1956-1957 and from 1959-1967.
• The Green Book simultaneously listed the James Keys Hotel at 409 Southside Ave from 1952-1957 then from 1959-1967.