McGuire Hotel
Known Name(s)
McGuire Hotel
Address
521 Princess Ann(e) St. Fredericksburg, VA
Establishment Type(s)
Hotel
Physical Status
Demolished
Detailed History
The 1950 issue of the "Negro Business Directory" places this hotel at 526 Princess Anne Street, and a July 16, 1938 ad in the "Afro-American" places the hotel at 523 Princess Anne Street, as shown in the photo. However, all Green Book issues have the 521 street number. The hotel was demolished by the late 1970s, when the adjacent Shiloh Baptist Church purchased the site to build an annex. The hotel most likely stood between the church at 525 Princess Anne and the building at 515 Princess Anne, which is owned by the church. Based on the photograph of the McGuire Hotel in the Green Book ad, the building at 515 Princess Anne is NOT the hotel.
The 1938 ad lists Dr. W. Lee Harris as the hotel's proprietor. The 1940 census shows that Webster Lee Harris was a dentist with a private practice, living at 523 Princess Anne Street. He is the head of the household, which contains 15 people, 13 of them lodgers, in addition to Mr. Harris. All household members are Black and all were born in Virginia. Mr. Harris is 55 years old and his wife, A. Thea Harris, is 52. Occupations of others in the household include taxi driver, bellboy, handyman, laborer, cook, hairdresser, barber, tile setter, and waiter. The 1950 census shows Mr. and Mrs. Harris at the same address, with 21 lodgers in the household. As with the 1940 census, everyone in the household is Black and the lodgers have a variety of occupations.
