Built in 1810, this rectory was constructed for use by the second Protestant Episcopal congregation of Georgetown. Founded in 1817, Christ Church was started by a group of prominent Georgetown citizens that met to organize a new congregation, due to overcrowding at St. John’s Church, which was the only Episcopal Church in Georgetown at the time. In the 1860s, the need for a larger church was evident, and the current late 19th century Gothic style church was completed in 1887.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Built in the 1820s, this large Federal style complex would become Lydia English’s Female Seminary, a school for “fashionable” women. In 1861, during the Civil War, it would be commandeered and converted into a hospital, and shortly thereafter, in 1870, would be one of the earliest examples of a property being converted into apartments. Located in the Georgetown Historic District, the long-standing historical influence of Lydia English’s Female Seminary and Seminary Hospital is still seen today.
Known as Lydia English’s Female Seminary, beginning in 1826, the school would host around 1,800 students. Those in attendance at Lydia English’s Female Seminary would learn subjects deemed appropriate for young women of a “fashionable” manner. Therefore, the school mainly catered to daughters of wealthy and politically-connected figures, such as Martha Johnson Patterson, the daughter of President Andrew Johnson (1865-1869). Other presidents would also visit the school for spring-time festivals and celebrations, such as Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) and James Buchanan (1857-1861). The school would become known for its prominent and important visitors, much less the successful women who completed their schooling or worked there.
Emma Willard (1787-1870), who taught at the seminary from 1830 to 1835, would later found the Troy Female Seminary in Troy, New York, which would revolutionize the way that young women were taught in finishing school. Instead of learning subjects related to proper manners and the qualities of being a good wife, young women were able to attend schools that, for the first time in American history, were equal to that of a young man’s college education, with coursework in geography, arithmetic and other subjects.
Nonetheless, the history of Lydia English’s Female Seminary focused on the men who visited the site. The historic marker states: “Long a Georgetown landmark, this building was occupied from 1826 by Miss Lydia English’s Georgetown Female Seminary, whose patrons and frequent visitors included…,” followed by a list of men and “other notables” of the era.
The Civil War would shift the role that this building played in history, as it would be commandeered by the Union army and converted into Seminary Hospital at the first Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Used as an army general hospital, there are other key figures that walked its halls, such as the famous author and poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892), who is said to have volunteered here for some time, as well as Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor for her service during the Civil War. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), author of Little Women, is rumored to have also volunteered at the hospital.
Shortly after the war, in 1870, the building would be one of the first instances of a property being converted into apartments. In 2024, following a major renovation, 1305-15 30th Street NW will become luxury condominiums, as the “Colonial Apartments” or “The Colonial.”
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee of Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Built in 1817, the William Wilson Corcoran Store is associated with one of DC’s famous financial leaders. Other historic sites also bear his name, such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, with which Corcoran was a major patron of the fine arts, and Corcoran Hall, part of George Washington University. Most importantly, Riggs National Bank, that he and partner George Washington Riggs founded in 1840, situated Corcoran’s legacy as a key figure in DC’s financial history.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee of Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Constructed in approximately 1810, the John Davidson House was built by a partner of early Washington’s commercial mogul Francis Dodge. Davidson would also own the Dodge Warehouse, as written in a fire insurance policy from 1837. The Davidson House is a fine example of Federal style architecture, with its fanlight and door surround, wrought iron railing, six-over-six windows, and shutters.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Home to one of the earliest judges of the DC Circuit Court, the Morsell House (John S. Williams House; Decatur-Gunther House) was built in 1813, and has been home to many of DC’s affluent and influential figures. James Sewall Morsell lived in the home and was appointed to the court in 1815. He also had his own private law practice. Other key owners of this Federal style home include Susan Decatur, widow of Naval Hero Stephen Decatur, who moved into the Morsell Home after her husband was killed in a duel in 1820 by Commodore Barron, a naval officer who served with Decatur but disagreed with him.
This historic house has only been sold twice. Once to Franklin Mott Gunther, who was the last United States Minister to Romania, before diplomatic relations were severed at the start of the Second World War. He and his wife would purchase the house in 1932, and reside there until 1984, when it was transferred to the second husband of Mrs. Louisa Gunther, Mihail Farcasanu. The house was bought for the second time around the late 1980s by Frederick H. Prince IV and his wife, who was co-trustee of the Frederick Henry Prince 1932 Trust. In 2022, the Morsell House was sold again.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>The remnants of this row of Federal style buildings date back to the 1790s. The Seven Buildings, which sit just northwest of the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue, figure extensively into the early history of, not only Washington, DC, but also the United States.
With construction initialized in 1796 and completion in 1800, it had been noted by newspapers and sources of the time that the State Department moved into one of the Seven Buildings. However, that claim has since been found to be untrue, as records from the Department of State refer to the nearby Six Buildings, which were demolished in the mid-1980s. The Seven Buildings would serve as the home of President James Madison and his family from 1815 to 1817, due to the aftereffects of the War of 1812. The Seven Buildings would also be the home of Vice Presidents Elbridge Gerry, Martin Van Buren (prior to his election as the 8th President), and Secretary of the Treasury Robert J. Walker.
During the 19th century, other distinguished guests frequented these Federal style buildings, including Naval Hero Stephen Decatur, who would hold a short residence at the Seven Buildings. Decatur is best known for his service in the Quasi-War (1798-1801) and the War of 1812. He was given a Congressional Gold Medal and a ceremonial sword after many years of service. He and his wife purchased a part of the Seven Buildings during the War of 1812, living there between 1812 and 1815.
Strong, swirling opinions surround the alterations and additions made to these historic buildings, as they were partially demolished in the 1960s. What remains is the historic facade of 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, a stark historic contrast to the large, nearly Brutalist architecture that surrounds it. In Capital Losses, James Goode remarked that the additions made in the 1980s are a “tasteless massive office complex” and that “a worse architectural solution to their preservation and ambience could not be imagined!” The large office building is currently being used as the Embassy of Mexico, constructed in 1988. The plaque memorializing the location reads: “At the dawn of the 1800s, this complex housed the Declaration of Independence.” The plaque adds: ”As a testament to the strength and depth of the ties that bind our two countries and peoples, Mexico commemorates the bicentennial of its independence and the centennial of its revolution with this plaque.”
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
(Omitted from list: March 7, 1968; Redesignated: May 23rd, 1984)
(1901-09 and 1913 Pennsylvania Avenue NW omitted from list on July 24, 1968)
Demolished in the 1960s
]]>The Six Buildings, located from 1205 to 2117 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, were an image of the early days of the Republic. Failed to be completed by James Greenleaf, the Six Buildings would be passed into the hands of Mr. Isaac Polock, who completed them and solidified their place in United States history as the home of many key historical figures and the Department of State. While they would be torn down in 1985, the legacy of the Six Buildings is long-standing.
After their completion, the Six Buildings, which consisted of a row of three-story brick houses, would be home to the Navy Department and the Department of State from around 1795 to 1800. During this time, both John Marshall and then his successor James Madison would serve as the Secretary of State in the Six Buildings until the Department of State would move in 1801 to a public building closer to the White House. General Sam Houston, twice-elected president of the Republic of Texas after the battle of San Jacinto, would also reside at the Six Buildings. Houston would later serve as governor of and senator from the State of Texas. Other key figures who would find residence at the Six Buildings are General James Wilkinson, General and Chief of the Army in 1796, and John Francis Mercer, the first president of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Co.
The Six Buildings were demolished in 1985. Today, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation is located on this block.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
(Omitted from list: July 24, 1968)
Demolished in 1985
]]>This Federal style brick house was built for Col. Charles Beatty. Beatty owned the ferry between Georgetown and Virginia, a crucial link between the two points prior to the construction of a bridge. It was also the residence of Thomas Hyde, and his son Anthony, who were secretaries to W. W. Corcoran, one of DC’s prominent financial figures and co-founder of Riggs National Bank in 1840. Built in 1798, the Beatty-Stuart House would be expanded, most likely by Joshua Stuart in 1832. This changed the facade and further highlights the home’s name.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Built by Thomas Beall in 1784, this was the home of his son in law Col. George Corbin Washington, who was also the great nephew of George Washington. The mansion was also the home of Eliah Riggs, and in the 20th century, Katharine Graham, who was the owner and publisher of the Washington Post from 1969 to 1979, as well as the chairman of the company from 1973 to 1991.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Purchased in 1920 by Mildred Barnes Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss, Dumbarton Oaks has expanded and transformed over time from a private home to a key research center within Washington, DC. The house was originally constructed in 1801. The Blisses began their long ties to the house as collectors and researchers of pre-Columbian and other ancient artifacts, which were then transferred to the care of Harvard University in 1940. At this time, the property was transformed into a research center, museum, and library. The Federal style home underwent major renovations and expansions in order to house the collections the Blisses had amassed. The couple collaborated with numerous architects for each expansion, and the additions were designed to display the collections. The most famous addition is the Pre-Columbian Pavilion, completed in 1963, and designed in a contrasting modernist style by Philip Johnson. The Blisses’ reach extended far and wide, and these connections greatly influenced the house’s use during World War II. Relief organizations, as well as the federal government, used the house for the war effort, with the Blisses advocating for the protection of at-risk art and sites across war-exposed areas. In addition to these efforts, in 1944, the house held initial negotiations between multiple countries that would result in the formation of the United Nations the next year. Robert Bliss had voiced his support to open the house to any purposes the federal government needed, and this greatly influenced the decision to hold the meetings at Dumbarton Oaks. Today, the house connects directly to the museum, and still displays the extensive collections that the Blisses had begun a century prior. The collections span multiple fields of interest and time periods, with each playing into each spouse’s research interests. The house has undergone extensive renovation and restoration since the Blisses’ deaths in order to maintain the property’s unique character.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
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