The Glenn Arms Apartments was constructed in 1916 by J.E. Fox for owner and architect George N. Bell (of the firm Hunter & Bell). It was not known by a name until it and its next-door neighbor, The Fulford, came into common ownership and were collectively renamed The Glenn Arms. Lacking another historic name, 2524 17th Street NW is still referred to as The Glenn Arms.
The Glenn Arms is not only a few years later than its neighbor, the Italian Renaissance-style Fulford, but its expression is quite distinct. Much as the earliest purpose-built apartment buildings in DC were designed like scaled-up Victorian rowhouses, the front block of The Glenn Arms looks similar to semidetached urban Craftsman-style homes, with even a dormered partial attic. The two-story homey architecture belies the extent of the building, an atypical plan, defined by several light courts, stretching nearly the depth of its lot.
Mary Foote Henderson's vision of an elite "Avenue of the Presidents" and embassy row along nearby Sixteenth Street in Meridian Hill had petered out before her death, despite her successful development of several mansions and their inspiration of several more. Notwithstanding her husband's investment in the construction of the Kenesaw, apartments did not fit Mrs. Henderson's vision of development along Sixteenth Street, namely the promotion of a certain scale, the attraction of a certain quality of buildings and residents, and, most important, the protection of views. Yet, while she was still active, apartment buildings sprang up on the margins of her extensive landholdings, taking advantage of the exclusivity of the neighborhood, and would soon fill in among the mansions. Many of these apartments were luxury residences, as the convenience of apartment living increasingly appealed to the affluent.
Farther still on the outskirts of the neighborhood, The Glenn Arms is not a luxury apartment building, but it illustrates middle-class emulation of the acceptance of apartments by the rich, filling a continuum of the apartment building type from the tenements inhabited by the poor. The Fulford’s early tenants were government clerks, professionals, teachers, policemen, construction workers, and service workers. Similar development in this area was spurred by the extension of streetcar lines up Fourteenth Street and Connecticut Avenue at the end of the nineteenth century, resulting in a cluster of apartments between Ontario Road and Fourteenth Street, north of Florida Avenue and south of the Piney Branch stream.
DC Inventory: December 21, 2017
National Register: March 6, 2018
]]>The area now designated as the Takoma Park Historic District served as the first commuter suburb in the area and was originally located on approximately 100 acres of land around the B&O Railroad tracks. It was founded and developed as a suburb by Benjamin F. Gilbert in 1883, but Gilbert chose to ignore jurisdictional lines. As a result, the original town of Takoma Park is located partially in the District of Columbia, partially in Montgomery County, Maryland, and partially in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Takoma Park is significant for the quality of its architecture. The suburb was planned with large detached houses set back from the building line and villas and cottages designed to include verandas, large lawns, and privacy. Various architectural styles are on display in Takoma, including the Stick, Shingle, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Bungalow styles.
Economic changes throughout the twentieth century resulted in scaled-down lots and smaller houses. In large part, these structures resemble the bungalows constructed in earlier years and are set back from the street. Rather than appearing discordant, however, these later structures maintain the rhythm and low scale of the detached single-family houses that characterize the suburb.
The Takoma Park Historic District contains approximately 160 contributing buildings, dating from about 1883 to 1940.
DC Inventory: September 18, 1980 (effective November 28, 1980)
National Register: June 30, 1983
]]>The Potomac Boat Club, constructed in 1908 and designed in the Craftsman style, is one of two remaining early 20th century boat clubs along the Potomac River in the District of Columbia. Along with the Washington Canoe Club, the Potomac Boat Club represents recreational pursuits that were an important part of Washington life.
The Potomac Boat Club survives as the only building in the District of Columbia associated with competitive rowing. While the building itself only dates to 1908, it is the sole remaining structure associated with the Potomac Boat Club, founded in 1859. It represents not only the specific history of the club, but also the importance of rowing as a sport.
Although the Potomac Boat Club was organized to represent Georgetown, the club's first boathouse was located at the 10th Street Canal Bridge, followed by three successive boathouses at the foot of 31st Street in Georgetown, the most recent of which was constructed around 1875. Upon the construction of this building in 1908, the Potomac Boat Club moved to its present location.
The essential form and integrity of the Potomac Boat Club and its Craftsman style detailing remain unchanged. Because the riverfront and the significant interior spaces remain, the building continues to reflect its historic association with the Potomac Boat Club and with rowing as it contributes to life on the Potomac River.
DC Inventory: January 23, 1973 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: June 27, 1991
Within Georgetown Historic District
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