The Winecoff Hotel Fire
Its writing paper promised one thing. The building had a single open staircase.
Listen to this place’s story in Peplos.
How the story begins
The hotel's writing paper said “absolutely fireproof.” The building you are looking at had fifteen floors, one staircase, no sprinklers and no fire escapes. All of that was legal. Atlanta's code exempted buildings with floors under five thousand square feet from needing more than one stair, and these floors came in at 4,386. William Winecoff built it, sold it in the 1930s and stayed on, living with his wife Grace in an apartment in the hotel.
The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.
Visiting
176 Peachtree Street, downtown Atlanta. It is a working hotel. The story works from the sidewalk.
Sources
- HistoryNet: Shocked America demanded change after Atlanta hotel blaze killed 119
- Firehouse: The Winecoff fire 50 years later
- Wikipedia: Winecoff Hotel fire
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