During its almost 200-year history, Loughborough House’s occupants have included a bank, law and insurances offices, and department stores. It has also served as a private home for over a dozen families.
Nathan Loughborough, a prominent Virginian who served as Treasury Department Chief Clerk in the early 1800s, built the houses. In 1801, he purchased the lot where Loughborough House stands for a mere $1,684 and built a fine three story brick house. Five years later the second building was completed and they became known as “Nathan Loughborough’s Houses.” In 1813, Mr. Loughborough sold both buildings and they were not to be united under one owner until 1926, when Edlows Department Store purchased both properties.
In 1957, the Honorable and Mrs. Gordon Gray purchased the property, and in 1960 gave it to the Junior League of Washington. The League extensively remodeled the interiors and restored the facade to its original Federal design, following a photograph from the 1880s. In 1998, JLW conducted another renovation to create a better space for its training sessions and meetings. Updates included an overhaul of its electrical and HVAC systems, as well as structural strengthening. The interior was also remodeled in federal style to match the facade.
Today, it remains in use by the Junior League of Washington on M Street.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Georgetown Historic District
]]>Originally established as the Georgetown Academy for Young Ladies, the Georgetown Visitation Convent was the first Catholic girls’ school in America. It was established by religious women in 1799 and received the first American charter of the Order of the Visitation in 1816. This property serves as the mother house for 13 convents and is also notable for housing Saint Joseph's Benevolent School from about 1800 to 1918. Various buildings, dating from 1819 to 1934, contribute to this historic site.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Chapel of the Sacred Heart); March 7, 1968 (Monastery and Academy Building) (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: March 29, 1991
Within Georgetown Historic District
This site is included in the Capital City Slavery Tour for the sale and enslavement of 121 individuals by the Georgetown Visitation Convent and School. For further information on slavery in the District, view DC Preservation League's Capital City Slavery Digital Exhibit.
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