Hotel Washington in Watchung NJ 1960's from Bobby Cole Vintage Somerset County New Jersey

In 1738, Hugo Maul owned a popular inn located on Somerset Street near Wetumpka Falls. By 1806, it was known as David Stewart's Tavern and, in 1848, it was Demler's Hotel, owned by George Demler. Later, it became the immensely popular Washington House until a fire in 1962 brought its long history to an end. Today, the Watchung Public Works facility is located on the site.
Watchung Borough facebook June 2015

BE MY GUEST! (Page 1, Page 2)
”If he knew you were coming, he’d have built another room” … The ebullient proprietor of vigorously expanding Washington House Hotel will practically build on order.

While a lot of traditional hotels have been upgrading their establishments with more and more modern decors, the Washington House Hotel in Watchung, since it opened on January 5. 1960, has been expanding furiously by fleeing back into history for its embellishment.

George Mauro, owner, proprietor and designer, built the new hotel completely in early American style. Without any grandiose master plan, he honked the hotel right to the established Washington House Restaurant - which. incidentally, comes by its name honestly. George Washington did stop there on many occasions when his headquarters was located in nearby Morristown.

From 20 rooms that were furnished just minutes before the Worthington Corporation moved in for a three-day conference on opening day, the hotel grew to 50 rooms by March, 1960; added 14 more rooms and 8,000 square feet of conference space early this year and plans on further seam bursting.

Provides Needs. Catering to many of New Jersey's top corporations, the hotel (located just north of Route 22 and Plainfield in residential Watchung) gives the businessman the atmosphere he wants. Luxurious rooms in an early American motif, small quiet conference rooms, three bars, 4 cocktail lounge, four dining rooms and a brand-new party room are the essentials

The fast-moving proprietor originally had plans to sell rooms to New Jersey corporations on an annual basis. After contacting several dozen of the largest companies in the stale, he realized the annual rental Idea was not what the companies wanted. However, business contacts paid off!! When the companies began to move sales meetings and executive training courses into the new hotel, Mauro knew he had his business market!

In the first year, many of New Jersey's blue chip companies used the hotel faculties, included on the customer list were:

American Motors (Union)
Bell Labs
Carrata Labs (Dallas, Texas)
Baso Research
Robert Teller and Associates
IBM Training School
J-M Research
Jothns-Manville
Lockheed Electronics
Mack Motor
Marck & Co
National Starch
Ortho Pharmaceutical
R. C. A.
Rheem Manufacturing
Union Carbide

Biggest sale at the Washington House came in January of this year when Western Electric signed a contract for a large number of rooms, and an executive training area which included several conference and meeting rooms. Western Electric now uses its Washington House location as the headquarters for Management Seminars for Department Chiefs. In groups of twenty, the Western Electric executives come from all over the United States for the two-week seminar. In 1961, eight hundred Western Electric executives will be housed and seminarred in the Washington House for two-week periods!

Heliport Halted. Mauro, sometimes moves a little too quickly for understanding in the local community. For example, towns-people, concerned with the rapid expansion, successfully resisted Washington House efforts to build a heliport on top of the mountain behind the hotel. Mauro had made preliminary plans for regularly scheduled helicopter service direct to the major metropolitan airports from his rooftop—but gave up the plan when local citizens became aroused.

However, the Washington House proprietor has helped put Watchung on the map. Hundreds ot businessmen from England and other European countries and from all over the United States have been among the hotel guests.

The Washington House proprietor is always on the lookout for means of improving and expanding the operation. Mauro, who once built an entire wing on the Washington House in six weeks just to accommodate a single wedding reception (and finished it three hours before the reception) is not content to sit still. Awaiting clearance from the community is another addition of a dozen rooms. A new private bar and party area have just been completed. There is more to come!

from A New Jersey Business Magazine Reprint
16 Park Place Newark, N. J.

Washington House, Historic Jersey Inn, Destroyed by Fire

WATCHUNG, N.J., Oct. 19 —Fire swept through the Washington House Restaurant today, destroying the historic 225-year-old inn and an adjoining motel. No one was seriously injured.

Firemen from six towns fought the fire for more than three hours before getting it under control at 5:30 P.M. All that remained of the sprawling 2½-story structure was a large chimney.

The original structure was built in 1738, and was described in an early report as a "house of entertainment." For many years, it was a regular stop on the stagecoach line running between Trenton and Morristown.

George Washington is reported to have stopped at the inn once during the Revolutionary War.

When the township of Warrn was established in 1809, the structure, then known as David St_wart's Tavern, was used as the official meeting place.

The white clapboard building, with double-decked porches, changed ownership several times. Ten years ago, it was bought by its present, owner George Mauro, who expanded the facilities to 75 rooms, and dining accommodations for 700.

from NY Times Timemachine