Records of the Hotel Kanawha, including two ledgers containing a cash journal (July 1917 to March 1921) and guest register (one year in the period ca. 1903-1920). The Hotel Kanawha was constructed in 1903, and served as Charleston's premier hotel until 1965. It was later used by the Job Corps of West Virginia until 1997. The building was demolished in 2003.

Transactions in the cash journal are arranged chronologically, and include incoming and outgoing for the same day arranged on facing pages (verso and recto). Incoming cash is categorized by hotel, cafe, cafeteria, pool, long distance calls, house phone, laundry, tailor, and sundries; outgoing cash is categorized by stores, cafeteria, laundry, tailor, payroll, office, kitchen, deposits, and sundries.

Transactions in the guest register are arranged alphabetically by last name, chronologically therein, and are within the months of January through October. It is currently estimated that the ledger dates from between 1903, when the Hotel opened, to ca. 1920. Rates average one to two dollars per day. Listings include entries under headings titled: room number, name, date, number of days, rate, telephone, express baggage, tailor, cash, bar and cigars, total, and paid.