Rehabilitation in the 20th Century.

After the purchase of the buildings in 1929, the country’s Great Depression of the 1930s inspired partnerships with local organizations to make the restoration of Gadsby’s Tavern a reality.
   The top image shows the buildings as they were when purchased. Note the 1878 Victorian façade on the City Hotel building. A sign hanging just above the two pedestrians announces the restoration of the building.
   The bottom photo was shot during the reconstruction of the City Hotel’s façade to remove the 1878 doorway and re-install the original one. The original doorway—through which George Washington walked and greeted troops in Alexandria—had been sold, then later purchased back from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was re-installed as part of a grand celebration on November 11, 1949. The event was featured on the cover of the Magazine Antiques. 

(Photos courtesy of the Alexandria Library, Special Collections)