The Inter-American Defense Board headquarters, located at 2600 16th Street NW, is a monumental Venetian Gothic Revival style building constructed in 1905 as part of socialite and developer Mary Foote Henderson’s (1841-1931) plan to create a grand entrance into the nation’s capital along 16th Street, which terminates at Lafayette Square and the White House. Constructed to the plans of noted local architect George Oakley Totten Jr. (1866-1939), it stands as one of DC’s most interesting and elegant residential structures.
When Delia Field (Mrs. Marshall Field) became the owner of the house between 1912 and 1914, she made numerous and expensive alterations, all within a period of seven years. At some point, the mansion was painted pink, earning the moniker “Pink Palace.” However, according to the Inter-American Defense Board who has owned the building since 1945, beige was the original paint color. The residence was later painted pink and, at one point, blue. Today, the “Pink Palace” is beige once again.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: August 5, 1991
]]>Constructed in the 1920s, the 12th Precinct Station House is architecturally significant as a prominent example of the Colonial Revival style in the District. Additionally, the station house is historically emblematic of DC’s expanding police force in the 20th century. As Washington’s population increased at the turn of the 20th century, the District police force expanded to meet the growing need for law enforcement through the construction of new precinct stations. The 12th precinct was established in 1922 to provide services to neighborhoods in the city’s northeastern quadrant. Designs for the building were finalized in 1923, and the station officially opened on New Year’s Day in 1924. Designed by municipal architect Albert L. Harris, the two-story brick building is a significant example of Colonial Revival style in the District—it is characterized by a front-gable roof, parapet-style belfry, and a projecting entrance portico. Today, the original building is connected to a six-story residential tower (constructed in 2019) for short-term family housing.
DC Inventory: May 27, 2021
]]>1644-1666 Park Road, built in 1906, consists of twelve red brick, three-story, semi-detached Colonial Revival row houses facing north. The six duplex buildings, which are divided vertically, rest on raised basements and are topped with mansard roofs punctuated by dormers. Like many other residences in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, a one-story wooden porch supported by Doric columns extends across the front of each building.
This block exemplifies the speculative rowhouse development characteristic of Mount Pleasant neighborhood during the period of their construction, as well as providing an excellent example of residential design by noted local architect Appleton P. Clark, Jr.
DC Inventory: March 21, 1984
National Register: November 6, 1986
]]>The apartment building at 2225 N Street was designed by Eugene Waggaman in an Early 20th Century Vernacular style, with brick masonry walls and a terra-cotta tile roof. This four-story, 32-unit building was constructed by developer Harry Wardman in 1925 and renovated in 1994.
The massing of 2225 N Street reflects Waggaman's predilection toward providing light and air circulation to residents. The original U-shape of the building maximized the amount of light and air. It also provided residents with a view of Rock Creek Park, thanks to the rear court's orientation towards the park's green space. An addition has since filled this court, but the original building's design is still visible.
DC Inventory: May 16, 1990
National Register: September 9, 1994
]]>These five rowhouses on N Street NW near 30th Street were constructed in the early 1860s and served as Non-Commissioned Officers' Barracks. The residences, which have foundations below-grade, are clad in wood and have a simple cornice that extends across all five units. Each individual entrance has a transom with a lattice pattern and a paneled door, and each unit has six-over-six windows with shutters.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>The garden-style construction at 3901 Connecticut Avenue NW fulfilled many of the aesthetic and logistic needs of the residents that lived there. The building had direct streetcar access that allowed commuting workers to easily travel to and from work, while also maintaining aesthetically-pleasing elements like its Tudor Revival exterior, suburban-like landscaping, and a large entrance lobby.
With all of the design elements and convenient location, the building appealed to middle-class residents for many reasons. With major growth in D.C.'s population in the interwar years between World War I and II, 3901 Connecticut Avenue NW had everything a federal employee needed in order to live comfortably within the city. The increase in social acceptance towards apartment-style living also helped with the transition towards many D.C. residents living in apartment buildings versus single-family homes. Designed by George T. Santmyers, this apartment building exemplified new housing and population trends within the city.
DC Inventory: March 28, 1996 (including lobby interior)
National Register: September 11, 1997
This site is a stop on the D.C. Apartment Buildings tour as an example of a Garden apartment building.
]]>Designed by local D.C. architect Joseph G. Herbert, the Valencia Apartments are representative of interwar urban development in the 1930s. The conventional, low-rise apartment building stands at three stories in an irregular U-shape. The structure includes Moderne stylistic elements, such as angular concrete ornamentation and an asymmetrical footprint. Located at the intersection of streetcar lines, bus routes, and important roadways, the Valencia demonstrates the increased need of new urban residents to have access to transportation networks. Following World War I, the expansion of the federal government resulted in an abundance of new jobs in the District. Due to the necessity of multi-family housing in the city, apartment buildings, originally associated with overcrowding and tenement-style conditions, became much more accepted and commonplace in the interwar years. The Valencia Apartments were constructed as an alternative to single-family housing options for middle-income families. It was built to house 32 families with spacious units, and remains largely the same today.
DC Inventory: July 28, 2016
National Register: January 17, 2017
]]>Nestled between the landscaping of 2027 Q Street NW sits a hidden study on geometry. Yuri Schwebler, an artist known for his temporary and permanent sculptures throughout DC, created the work outside the home in 1975. The sculpture consists of two slate slabs that form a V-shape coming out of the ground, with two steel I-beams sitting on top of the slabs and two pendulums hanging from them into the empty space. Schwebler’s works, including 50/50, “explored concepts of geometry, balance, light, and shadow,” according to an article published by the Phillips Collection. Schwebler was also responsible for installations at their gallery, as well as creating a giant sundial with the Washington Monument. Schwebler used snow that had accumulated on the ground around it by plowing certain tracks into it to create radial lines. Because some of his work was meant to be temporary, 50/50’s permanence makes it even more pertinent to the address on Q Street.
Within Dupont Circle Historic District.
This site is a stop on the Abstract Sculptures of DC tour.
]]>Howard University hosts a number of impressive art installations throughout its campus, but this abstract sculpture by Richard Hunt stands out at over 75 feet long. Made from bronze, the sculpture consists of two large pieces on either end that represent two hands meant to be reaching out toward each other. The sculpture was donated by John S. DeBrew, Jr. in honor of his mother in 1978. The sculpture resides outside of the Armour J. Blackburn University Center Building, which serves as a multipurpose building for students, faculty and staff, and alumni. Hunt also has two additional sculptures installed on campus titled Freedmen’s Column and Symbiosis. Hunt has been considered one of the most influential African American sculptors of the 20th century, and his work is seen in galleries throughout the United States.
This site is a stop on the Abstract Sculptures of DC tour.
]]>Set on a raised platform at the corner of 19th and H Streets NW, Around the Void V has occupied its current location since 2003 after originally being placed in the interior of the World Bank building in 1970. Constructed of brushed stainless steel, the sculpture is made of fused cubic and rectangular blocks that surround an open space in the center. The forms appear more fluid where they’ve been soldered together, but retain their sharp edges where they do not connect. Sculpted by Eduardo Chillida, the sculpture reflects both the artist’s and commissioning company’s visions. Born in San Sebastián, Spain, Chillida had turned from architecture to sculpture early in his career, with his works emphasizing space and voids that the surrounding metal created. In this sculpture, Chillida emphasized that this sculpture “symbolizes a place of birth or rebirth,” through the open space, as well as the mystery of the interior because it cannot be fully seen. Commissioned by the World Bank for their DC headquarters, then-president of the Bank James D. Wolfensohn said that the sculpture shared the organization’s goal of “reducing poverty through economics.” The sculpture was re-dedicated in 2003 after its movement outside; while Chillida had passed in 2002, his sculpture was again highlighted for its design and symbolic purpose.
This site is a stop on the Abstract Sculptures of DC tour.
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