The site on which the Mayflower Hotel sits was, after the organization of the District of Columbia in 1792, initially owned by the federal government.
The federal government finally sold the property to Nathaniel Carusi for $5,089.
Carusi sold the site to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in 1867 for $50,000.
The order built the Convent of the Visitation on the site, a structure that occupied the land until the construction of the Mayflower Hotel itself.

The Mayflower Hotel was built by Allan E. Walker, the land developer behind Brookland and other residential neighborhoods of Washington.
Initially called the Hotel Walker, it was to have 11 stories, 1,100 rooms, and cost $6.2 million ($94,700,994 in 2019 dollars).
On May 27, 1922, the Walker Hotel Company was organized, with Allan Walker as president.
The corporation issued 80,000 shares of preferred stock worth $2 million and 80,000 shares of common stock, and purchased a site on the north half of the block on DeSales Street between 17th Street and Connecticut Avenue.
Plans for the hotel, whose cost was now pegged at $6.75 million ($103,101,889 in 2019 dollars), now included an 11-story, 1,100-room hotel facing Connecticut Avenue, whose first two floors would be common rooms, and an eight-story residential hotel facing 17th Street.
Robert F. Beresford of Washington, D.C., and the New York City architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore were appointed the architects, and Beresford said the structure would be built of concrete and brick around a steel frame.
Indiana limestone would be used for the facade on the first three floors, with rusticated brick and terra cotta trim on all upper floors.
By June 6, however, the cost of the hotel had risen to $8 million ($116,629,981 in 2019 dollars), largely due to a sizeable expansion in the size of the ballrooms (the largest of which could now seat 1,600 people), meeting rooms, and other public spaces on the first two floors and first basement level.

Ground for the new hotel was broken in July 1922.
Structural engineer F.E. Gillen designed the foundation, and oversaw its construction.
As excavation began, workers quickly uncovered the stumps of massive cypress trees, some of the trunks nearly 8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter.
Geologists estimated the stumps at 100,000 years old.
As workers dug deeper, they discovered that an underground branch of Rock Creek ran below the site.
This forced the foundation to be dug to bedrock, some 40 feet (12 m) below ground.
The facade along Connecticut Avenue was 153 feet (47 m) in length, along DeSales Street 455 feet (139 m) in length, and along 17th Street 140 feet (43 m) in length.
The main promenade running through the center of the hotel was 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 400 feet (120 m) long, while the lobby was 59 feet (18 m) wide and 115 feet (35 m) long.
Wainscoting and floors in the public rooms of the hotel were of Botticino marble and featured walnut moldings.
A glass dome covered the Palm Court, which as decorated on the interior with ornamental ironwork in the Italianate style.

Excavation of the foundation was completed in late November 1922, several weeks ahead of schedule.
Steel for the frame began arriving the week of January 21, 1923, and erection of the building's frame was expected to take 10 weeks.
More than 500 men worked on erecting the frame, while 2,000 men erected the facade and interior walls, and worked laying electrical, water, sewer, and gas lines.
Longacre Engineering Company of New York was the general contractor.
Construction costs continued to rise, however.
Although scheduled to open January 1, 1924, the hotel remained unfinished.
The Allan E. Walker Investment Company, the largest shareholder in the Hotel Walker Company began running short of funds, slowing construction.
Nearing bankruptcy, the Walker Investment sold its interest in the Hotel Walker to C.C. Mitchell & Company, builder of large apartment complexes and hotels in Boston and Detroit.
The reported price of the sale was $5.7 million for the $8.5 million hotel.
But in fact, costs had risen much higher, and
The site on which the Mayflower Hotel sits was, after the organization of the District of Columbia in 1792, initially owned by the federal government. The federal government finally sold the property to Nathaniel Carusi for $5,089. Carusi sold the site to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in 1867 for $50,000. The order built the Convent of the Visitation on the site, a structure that occupied the land until the construction of the Mayflower Hotel itself.
The Mayflower Hotel was built by Allan E. Walker, the land developer behind Brookland and other residential neighborhoods of Washington. Initially called the Hotel Walker, it was to have 11 stories, 1,100 rooms, and cost $6.2 million ($94,700,994 in 2019 dollars). On May 27, 1922, the Walker Hotel Company was organized, with Allan Walker as president. The corporation issued 80,000 shares of preferred stock worth $2 million and 80,000 shares of common stock, and purchased a site on the north half of the block on DeSales Street between 17th Street and Connecticut Avenue. Plans for the hotel, whose cost was now pegged at $6.75 million ($103,101,889 in 2019 dollars), now included an 11-story, 1,100-room hotel facing Connecticut Avenue, whose first two floors would be common rooms, and an eight-story residential hotel facing 17th Street. Robert F. Beresford of Washington, D.C., and the New York City architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore were appointed the architects, and Beresford said the structure would be built of concrete and brick around a steel frame. Indiana limestone would be used for the facade on the first three floors, with rusticated brick and terra cotta trim on all upper floors. By June 6, however, the cost of the hotel had risen to $8 million ($116,629,981 in 2019 dollars), largely due to a sizeable expansion in the size of the ballrooms (the largest of which could now seat 1,600 people), meeting rooms, and other public spaces on the first two floors and first basement level.
Ground for the new hotel was broken in July 1922. Structural engineer F.E. Gillen designed the foundation, and oversaw its construction. As excavation began, workers quickly uncovered the stumps of massive cypress trees, some of the trunks nearly 8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter. Geologists estimated the stumps at 100,000 years old. As workers dug deeper, they discovered that an underground branch of Rock Creek ran below the site. This forced the foundation to be dug to bedrock, some 40 feet (12 m) below ground. The facade along Connecticut Avenue was 153 feet (47 m) in length, along DeSales Street 455 feet (139 m) in length, and along 17th Street 140 feet (43 m) in length. The main promenade running through the center of the hotel was 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 400 feet (120 m) long, while the lobby was 59 feet (18 m) wide and 115 feet (35 m) long. Wainscoting and floors in the public rooms of the hotel were of Botticino marble and featured walnut moldings. A glass dome covered the Palm Court, which as decorated on the interior with ornamental ironwork in the Italianate style.
Excavation of the foundation was completed in late November 1922, several weeks ahead of schedule. Steel for the frame began arriving the week of January 21, 1923, and erection of the building's frame was expected to take 10 weeks. More than 500 men worked on erecting the frame, while 2,000 men erected the facade and interior walls, and worked laying electrical, water, sewer, and gas lines. Longacre Engineering Company of New York was the general contractor. Construction costs continued to rise, however. Although scheduled to open January 1, 1924, the hotel remained unfinished. The Allan E. Walker Investment Company, the largest shareholder in the Hotel Walker Company began running short of funds, slowing construction. Nearing bankruptcy, the Walker Investment sold its interest in the Hotel Walker to C.C. Mitchell & Company, builder of large apartment complexes and hotels in Boston and Detroit. The reported price of the sale was $5.7 million for the $8.5 million hotel. But in fact, costs had risen much higher, and
Mayflower Hotel