Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel

The Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel was a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Early History

The Chalfonte Hotel [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106730pv.jpg] was built in 1868 for clients Elisha and Elizabeth Roberts. They purchased a plot of land at North Carolina Avenue and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City from a John DaCosta for $6500.00. The Chalfonte Hotel was constructed during the winter for a cost of $21,000 and could accommodate 140 guests. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/data/009.tif] [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/data/010.tif] The hotel was designed by architect L. Adrian Doe (April 21 1896 — September 27 1981). [ [http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/22653 Doe, Lester Adrian (1896 - 1981) - Philadelphia Architects and Buildings ] ] His notable works included the Strand Hotel Atlantic City. Elisha and Elizabeth Roberts later sold the building to the Leeds and Lippincott families. In 1929, the Leeds and the Lippincotts owned two hotels side by side on the boardwalk. The original buildings were separate structures- the Chalfonte [ [http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/image_gallery.cfm/51203 image gallery: Chalfonte Hotel - Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project ] ] and Haddon Hall. [ [http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/image_gallery.cfm?RecordId=1B50E3AE-69BE-4232-B7494729A7A3F686&ShowAll=9999 image gallery: Haddon Hall Hotel - Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project ] ] Electricity was added to the city in July 1882 and tourism began to boom. [ [http://www.atlantic-city-online.com/history/history.shtml Atlantic City, NJ Online - History of Atlantic City ] ]

The Haddon Hall building was erected around 1893 and the two properties were merged to form the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel under the Leeds and Lippincott Co. Architect Addison Hutton (1834—1916) [ [http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/25239 Hutton, Addison (1834-1916) - Philadelphia Architects and Buildings ] ] was commissioned to design the Haddon Hall hotel building. The Chalfonte-Haddon Hall consisted of 1,000 rooms and was 15 stories tall. At the time of its completion it was the city's largest hotel by capacity.

In 1943 under the command of Col. Robert C. McDonald, M.C., (November 27 1943—June 30 1944) Haddon Hall was used as Atlantic City Air Forces Training & Reception Center Hospital. More than 40 of the local hotels were taken over by the United States Military and titled command center #7. The following is a list of just a few hotels used: Haddon Hall, Chalfonte, Cedarcraft, Keystone, New England, Rydal, and Warwick Hotels, a large six-story garage, a power plant, and a laundry to the 1272nd Service Command Service Unit. [ [http://venus.atlantic.edu/amatol/thesis_home.html Atlantic City Answers The Call ] ]

Resorts International acquired Leeds & Lippincott Company, which owned Chalfont-Haddon Hall. Resorts purchased 67 percent of Leeds & Lippincott inc. in August 1976, and completed the acquisition the following month, paying a total of $2.489 million and by May 1 1978, the 1000 rooms of the Chalfonte - Haddon Hall were reduced to 566 to allow for a casino, restaurants, shops, and to meet the city's required 325 square foot minimum for each guest room. [ [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Resorts-International-Inc-Company-History.html Resorts International, Inc. - Company History ] ] The Chalfonte was demolished in 1980 to make room for a parking lot for the newly remodeled Resorts Atlantic City.

The first meeting of the Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics was held in the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, Atlantic City, N.J., on Nov. 21, 1948. [ [http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/3/5/667 REPORT OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SECTION ON SURGERY OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS - 3 (5): 667 - Pediatrics ] ]

President Nixon spoke there on June 22 1971 in front of the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel. [ [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3050 Richard Nixon: Remarks on Arrival in Atlantic City, New Jersey ] ]

Library of congress repository photographs

Reference-Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)Documentation compiled after 1933. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.nj0889

Links to historic photos of the buildings at the Library of Congress:
*The Chalfonte dolphin fountain [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106732pv.jpg]
*The Entrance at the board walk [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106806pv.jpg]
*A suite [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106738pv.jpg]
*The Famous Carolina room [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/displayPhoto.pl?path=/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos&top
]
*A view from the water [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106786pv.jpg]
*The hotel loby [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/106805pv.jpg]

References