Hillcrest/National Presbyterian Church reflects the merging of two early 20th century Washington institutions into the current historic properties of The Washington City Orphan Asylum (Hillcrest Children’s Center) and the National Presbyterian Church. The first resident of the space, Washington City Orphan Asylum (referred to as Hillcrest Children’s Village following a 1920s construction project), was one of the oldest charitable institutions in the nation’s capital. Founded in 1815, the institution sought to provide proper care for the city’s expanding orphan population – in contrast to the government’s solution of sending children into poorhouses and workhouses. After a series of moves to meet the increasing demand for additional residential space, a large donation in 1920 resulted in the acquisition of 13.1 acres of property along Nebraska Avenue NW. Appleton P. Clark Jr., a master architect well-known for his design of orphanages and children’s homes, designed remarkable Tudor Style cottages that evoked a home-like feel in lieu of a sanitized, institutional quality traditionally assigned to children’s homes. Clark was assisted by landscape architect Rose Greely and architect Horace Peaslee, who specialized in landscape design. Only part of Clark’s proposed Hillcrest Children’s Village was constructed, but a few of the cottages survive and remain remarkable examples of Tudor Revival architecture. In the 1960s, the property was sold to the National Presbyterian Church (NPC) and Hillcrest transitioned its services to a facility at 1325 W Street NW. The NPC’s history can be traced to the late 18th century; as early as 1794 and 1795, a group of Scottish stone masons gathered to hold Presbyterians services on land that the White House currently occupies. Originally known as the Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, desire for a national space of worship resulted in a 1971 name change. In 1963, after acquiring the Nebraska Avenue property, the NPC asked architect Harold E. Wagoner to draw up plans for the new national church. His Modern Gothic design echoed the church’s desire for a stately, dignified, and impressive national space. Wagoner’s incorporation of the four Clark-designed cottages into the church campus contributes to the architectural and historic significance. Today, the church remains an active, national space of worship in Northwest Washington.
DC Inventory: September 26, 2019
National Register: January 12, 2022
]]>In the 1930s, Colony Hill – near Reservoir and Foxhall roads – emerged as a distinctive suburban development built in an architectural style that echoed the Georgian and Federal styles of the early American nation. In the decade between 1931 and 1941, notable real estate firm Boss & Phelps collaborated with renowned architect Horace Peaslee, landscape architect Rose Greeley, and local architect Harvey Baxter. Early residents were primarily upper middle-class citizens, including physicians, businessmen, military officers, and government officials.
The historic district includes 50 houses, 37 of which are contributing properties. Distinctive elements of the single-family residences include cornice detailing, rhythmic fenestration, and simple massing. Colony Hill planners integrated revivalist architecture with naturalistic landscape design in a style that is still clear today—as current residents continue to preserve this vision in their neighborhood.
The Colony Hill Historic District includes the homes of Hoban Road, Hadfield Lane, and 45th Street NW. It is bounded by Glover Archbold on the east, Reservoir Road on the south, and Foxhall Road on the west.
DC Inventory: February 4, 2021
National Register: May 21, 2021
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