Valley Girl Views: Celebrating 100 Years - The Genetti Hotel, Williamsport

Construction on the Lycoming Hotel began in 1921, with a three day grand opening beginning on June 21 1922. The Lycoming Hotel was bought by Gus Genetti on June 23 1975. It was called the Genetti Lycoming Hotel until 1990, when it became simply the Genetti.

Located at 200 West 4th Street, Williamsport Pa

The Lycoming Hotel of Williamsport Pennsylvania was built and furnished at a cost of over a million dollars. The hotel was owned and operated by the Williamsport Hotels Co, composed of 1, 187 stockholders, H.D. Brown president.

Ground breaking began in April of 1921.

(The building in the background is the old YMCA building)

Construction progress, November 1 1921

The 10 story hotel is the tallest building in Williamsport. It was designed by architect William Lee Stoddart.

A 1922 article in the Hotel Monthly stated that a garage at the hotel had a capacity for 100 cars.

The original hotel included 212 guest rooms all with bath, including 40 with showers.

It was operated on the European plan, catering for commercial tourist and summer resort trade.

Interior Photos from 1922

The ballroom fixtures were locally made by the Williamsport Glass and Mirror Company.

At noon, on Wednesday, June 21, 1922, Edgar Munson, representing the Board of Directors, raised a large American flag to the flagpole on the roof 192 feet above West Fourth Street. Manager John F. Letton unfurled the flag to the breeze while a band played below.

An opening ball for invited dignitaries, including a Pullman car full of guests from New York City, was just one of a three-day slate of activities to celebrate the completion of the most modern hotel in Pennsylvania

In the background of the above postcard, you can see the dining room, separated by glass panes. This was reported as a "novel idea" in 1922. Below is a closer look at the dining room in 1922:

The new hotel was featured extensively in the Hotel Monthly, 1922. Seven pages detailed the hotel, with floor plans and photos. All of those can be seen at the very bottom of this post.

I'm told that this beautiful mosaic tile floor is still there, under layers of carpet glue and carpet.

In the 1940's, the rates were $3.00 for a single, $4.50 for a double

Interior View Of the Hotel

200 Rooms, 200 Baths

During the 1936 flood, the Lycoming Hotel helped house 200 stranded guests and rescue workers.

The hotel had a revolving door

Cocktail Bar & Coffee Shop

Menu, February 1966

On November 3 2008, Gus & Valeria Genetti donated the 6 stained glass panels from the former Rhonabwy lounge to the James V. Brown Library. The six panels were designed in 1976 as a protest piece. They feature The Dream Of Rhonabwy, a Welsh prose tale of the King Arthur Legend.

There are still many stained glass pieces in the Genetti's restaurant area today

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"Friendly Persuasion" - Genetti Hotel 90th Anniversary Retrospective 2012

https://youtu.be/bzbP0C0H_oM

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This photo is often posted with the caption "the ghost that haunts the 8th floor".

I've not yet been able to track down the history of this ghost story.

Famous Guests who have been reported as staying at the Lycoming/Genetti over the years include:

Sergei Rachmanionoff,

Dainty June,

Yehudi Menuhin,

Gene Kelly,

Clarence Darrow,

Will Durant,

Jose Itrubri,

Rita Hayworth,

Paulette Godard,

Ogden Nash,

Carl Sandburg,

Norman Cousins,

Pearl S. Buck,

Gene Autry,

Wilt Chamerlain,

Connie Mack,

Aretha Franklin,

Bob Dylan,

Joan Osborn,

Cab Calloway

Harlem Globetrotters

Some more unique guests include the world tallest man, Jack Earle, in 1941 who was 8 feet 6 ½ inches who need two beds to sleep on and, 10 baby falcons who took refugee at the Genetti until they could successful fly on their own

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Dennehy, Robert. "The Lycoming: Williamsport, Pennsylvania." News, January 1962.
"Hotel Lycoming Number." New York Hotel Review, August 19,1922.
Allabaugh, Denise. "The Keys to Genetti’s Success." The Citizens’ Voice. June 22, 2014. .
Austin, Penelope. The Genetti Hotel 75th Anniversary Book. Williamsport, PA: Hilsher Graphics, 1997.
https://www.genettihotel.com/genetti-hotel-history/