The Woodley Inn

The Woodley Inn. . , In the late nineteenth century, a rural retreat called the Woodley Inn rose near what became Massachusetts Avenue and 38th Street. Before the advent of air conditioning, wealthy families summered on the heights overlooking the city to escape the humidity of Washington. The Chevy Chase Hunt occasionally led off from the Woodley Inn, following packs of imported fox hounds. The inn burned down in a spectacular fire in February 1910. Its 35 guests, mostly women and children, escaped in their night clothes. The Tenleytown fire fighting brigade lacked ladders that could reach the third floor of the wooden building. A resident of the tower had to climb to the ground using rope made from sheets and blankets. Ironically, firemen were not summoned using this callbox, which would most likely have been the closest to the inn. Even in 1910, callboxes were already beginning to be outpaced by technology. The $41,000 fire, which started in the kitchen or basement, was reported by telephone. , Artist: Peter Waddell.