This building at 3300 Broad Street has been the home of WDEF TV for almost 70 years, but this isn’t where we started our operations. We actually first launched our broadcast in 1954 from the Volunteer Life Building’s fourth floor. Its address is listed in historical documents as being at Georgia Avenue and 9th street.
Before 3300 Broad Street was the home of WDEF, it was the location of the Interstate Glass House restaurant. This was part of a chain of restaurants owned by the Interstate company based in Chicago. The Interstate highway system had not yet been built, so Broad Street, which is part of highway 41, was a main route of travel through the United States.
The restaurants thrived on tourist travel, which wound down due to fuel rationing during WWII. At some point either during or post-war, the Interstate Glass House restaurant closed down…