This two-story rowhouse within the Mount Pleasant Historic District was designed by prolific DC architect Waddy B. Wood (Wood, Donn & Deming) and constructed by John H. Nolan for self-described “architectural sculptor” John Joseph Earley (1881-1945) and his family. John J. Earley lived here for over 30-years, from 1911 to 1942. During this time, he led a successful career working on numerous projects around DC and the nation. He is best known for his work with architectural mosaic concrete – specifically, the “Earley Process” for formulating colorful aggregate-based concrete.

The Earley Family was known for its artistic work in 19th century England and Ireland. John J. Earley’s grandfather, John Farrington Earley, and great uncle, Thomas Earley, were artisans in Birmingham, England. Both John and Thomas later relocated to Dublin, where the firm of Earley & Powells produced decorative arts (mainly for churches), from altars and pulpits to stained glass windows and tombstones. John Farrington Earley’s son, James Farrington Earley, distinguished himself as a sculptor at an early age. In 1880, James and his wife Mary emigrated to the United States and the following year John J. Earley was born in New York City. Within a decade, James and his family moved to DC where he established his firm focused on stone carving.

John J. Earley soon apprenticed under his father James. In the 1890s and 1900s, James contributed to work at the Franciscan Monastery, Saint Patrick’s Church, and the new Willard Hotel, as well as the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. In 1906, James, at only 49 years old, tragically died of typhoid fever and bequeathed the firm to John.

The following year, John J. Earley designed a new headquarters for the firm (see John J. Earley Office and Studio). From 1907 to 1936, the firm was headquartered at this studio in Foggy Bottom. Through the National Bureau of Standards, John worked on experiments with concrete-coated metallic lath. Working in plaster and stucco, John was hired to clad different features in stucco at the new Meridian Hill Park. Initially, his work did not meet the expectations of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). In turn, he developed his famous process that met CFA’s standards in 1915. This two-stage process included the removal of concrete to reveal the larger aggregate’s color, and the addition of a smaller aggregate as infill.

In addition to his work at Meridian Hill Park, John J. Earley and his studio worked on many high-profile projects while he was living on Lamont Street. This included work at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Franciscan Monastery, Mullen Library at The Catholic University, the U.S. Department of Justice Building, the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, the Parthenon in Nashville, and the Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. John moved out of the rowhouse in Mount Pleasant in 1942 and died in 1945.

The John J. Earley House was built as infill, as it was constructed slightly later than the rest of the block. This is visible from Lamont Street, as the house has a different architectural style than the adjacent houses. Designed by Waddy B. Wood in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, the primary façade (north elevation) of the custom-designed house is clad in brick masonry laid in an English cross bond pattern. The rowhouse is three-bays wide.

A center walkway reaches from the sidewalk to the house’s entry porch. The concrete entry porch has a lower landing, short flight of stairs, and an upper landing at the front entrance, which is on the east side of the façade. The first floor features three round arches, with the entrance in the east arch, and windows in the center and west arches. These three arched openings all include fanlights and French windows. The center and west arches have concrete balustrades. The second-floor’s three windows are rectangular and have iron balcony railings.

A terra cotta tile roof overhangs the front façade. The cornice is composed of diamond-shaped concrete and is supported by concrete brackets. Below the cornice is a shelf with a braided concrete rim, round brick arches, and concrete brackets. Within the arches are shells that are both decorative and practical, as they once provided ventilation to the house’s attic. Below the shells and between the brackets are diamond-shaped terra cotta tiles.

Most of the first floor interior – the entrance hall, front parlor, center hall, central atrium, and rear dining room – is included in this designation. The interior’s most prominent space is the two-story atrium, which has a floor composed of bricks and walls of concrete blocks. Originally open-air, it was enclosed in 1915. John J. Earley’s work is most visible in the concrete-walled atrium, and the parlor and dining room's concrete fireplaces.

DC Inventory: February 27, 2025

National Register: May 8, 2025

Within Mount Pleasant Historic District

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House of Mercy is located at the northwest edge of the Mount Pleasant Historic District on a ridge overlooking the wooded Rock Creek Valley. The building was constructed in a once rural setting, but still retains its “sanctuary” landscape.

Designed by Nathan C. Wyeth in the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style and constructed by Charles A. Langley, House of Mercy was completed in 1911. The style was selected by Cassie Meyer James, House of Mercy’s principal donor, and well-executed by Wyeth, who also designed the MacVeagh House, as well as many other buildings during his time as DC’s Municipal Architect (1934-1946). Notably, Wyeth also designed the White House’s Oval Office. House of Mercy is an early example of the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style in Washington, DC, and this style would be used in the design of several DC residences in the 1910s and 1920s, including at the David Lawrence Residence, now known as the Old Swedish Ambassador’s Residence.

The building is composed of a main block and two wings on the north and south. The main block and wings partially enclose a central courtyard, which is open to the west. The two-story building sits on uneven terrain, which sometimes places the basement partially above-ground. The elevated site is enclosed by a grey fieldstone foundation and retaining wall on its west and east sides (Rock Creek Park and Rosemount Avenue NW, respectively), and a concrete retaining wall, painted with colorful murals, on its south side facing Klingle Road NW.

At the center of the main block is a curvilinear parapet with a large rosette consisting of three concentric rings of brick surrounding a painted emblem reminiscent of a religious medallion. Within this central bay is the main entrance, which faces Rosemount Avenue. The entrance is covered by a tiled, shed roof, which hints at the Craftsman style – one of several styles, along with the Arts and Crafts Movement, that inspired the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style.

The main block is capped by a hipped roof with protruding eaves. Here, the above-ground basement is visible and is separated from the two upper-stories by a belt cornice. The first story has twelve, tall windows with six-over-six lights, while the second story has fourteen, shorter windows with nine lights.

The south wing’s first story has five, tall windows with decorative iron grills, while the north wing has three stucco-clad chimneys with ornamental covers. Both the iron grills and chimney features are elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Both wings meet at cross wings with curvilinear parapets (the cross wings do not connect, which allows for the courtyard to be open on its west side). A breezeway connects the south cross wing to a single-story cottage, while the north cross wing has a three-story addition (completed in 2005) on its west side.

Established in 1884 by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, House of Mercy (known formally as the Association for the Works of Mercy) was first located in Foggy Bottom. At the time, House of Mercy exclusively served white girls and women in need (e.g., unwed mothers and their babies). Like other services in the city, most charitable organizations were racially segregated. There were at least two homes for Black women and children, including the National Association for the Relief of Destitute Colored Women and Children (later known as the Merriweather Home for Children).

Within a short period of time, House of Mercy had outgrown the space in Foggy Bottom. A new, larger facility finally became a possibility when heiress and philanthropist Cassie Meyer James purchased and donated the land adjacent to Rock Creek Park, as well as the funds for the construction of a new building. At the time, the site was rural and isolated.

24 girls and 17 children became residents of the new facility when it opened in late 1911. Deaconess Lillian M. Yeo, who strictly supervised the house until 1945, wrote a memoir, which included a description of the girls’ activities: “They sew, and when they leave us they have learned to sew well. ...Then they cook, in teams of three—one for the girls and children, one for the staff, while the third is responsible for the kitchen’s tidiness. We bake all our own bread…Then there is our laundry. ‘And we man it,’ as one of our girls recently said.”

In 1946, following a renovation, House of Mercy began to provide short-term care for pregnant girls and unwed mothers and their babies. Ten years later, the Episcopal Church’s National Council issued guidance on integrating the church’s institutions. In 1958, a convention of the Washington Diocese called for racial integration, which led to House of Mercy changing its policy of only serving white girls and women.

Despite House of Mercy’s shift in focus in the 1940s and into the 1950s, the organization’s mission was becoming less relevant as society changed. In turn, enrollment dropped. In 1972, House of Mercy closed. That same year, it reopened as the Rosemount Infant Day Care Center (also known as El Centro Rosemount) and started serving many Spanish-speaking infants and toddlers. In recent years, many immigrants from Central and South America had settled in Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan. Rosemount Center was the Washington area’s first bilingual daycare center. In 2005, a renovation of the historic building and a modern addition were completed. Over 50 years after its establishment, Rosemount Center continues to serve the surrounding community.

DC Inventory: May 23, 2024

National Register: January 10, 2025 

Within Mount Pleasant Historic District

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Designed as a luxurious apartment home with a café, spacious parlors, dining rooms, and retail space on the ground floor, the Kenesaw initially housed members of Congress and wealthy Washingtonians in the early 20^th century. By the 1960s, a combination of white flight and natural dilapidation resulted in a severely rundown building. The Kenesaw changed hands multiple times before being sold to Antioch College, which planned to use the building for a Law School.   By the 1970s, when controversy surrounding ownership of the building began to heat up, residents at the Kenesaw were mostly low-income families, elderly apartment dwellers, and immigrants who had made the best of a building beset with internal and external problems. Many developers saw the building as profitable for its location at the edge of Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan; when Antioch attempted to sell the building off for a profit, the apartment became an icon of communal resistance against large organizations outpricing low income renters.   The building’s residents composed a diverse group dedicated to salvaging the building from sale. Residents fought together to buy the building, but a bidding war with a larger corporation ended in mixed emotions and mixed ownership results. As of today, the building continues to struggle with repairs as a combination of condo owners and co-op residents continue to debate costs that may increase their rent.   The Kenesaw is significant on its own, but also as host to pieces of the Hispanic Heritage of Mount Pleasant. The Kenesaw hosted the Spanish Catholic Center underneath the building, and currently holds a branch of Barbara Chambers Children’s Center in its basement.  

SOURCES

Walterene Swansion Special to The Washington Post. (1978, Mar 02). Kenesaw tenants' co-op hopes to purchase building: Kenesaw tenants' co-op hopes to buy building. The Washington Post (1974-) Retrieved from http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/kenesaw-tenants-co-op-hopes-purchase-building/docview/146983076/se-2?accountid=8285

Christopher Dickey Washington Post, Staff Writer. (1978, Dec 16). Tenants' victory: Government-funded corporation buys Kenesaw for its residents the Kenesaw is saved for its tenants. The Washington Post (1974-) Retrieved from http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/tenants-victory/docview/146833888/se-2?accountid=8285

Mark Poletunow interview by Patrick Scallen (November 18, 2017), Humanities DC, DC Oral History Collaborative.

Barbara Chambers Children’s Center History

The Kenesaw is a contributing building within the Mount Pleasant Historic District.

This site is a stop on the D.C. Apartment Building tour as an example of a Luxury apartment building.

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As one of only a few memorials dedicated to a religious leader, the Francis Asbury Memorial honors the life and legacy of someone whom many consider the “father of the American Methodist Church.” Dedicated in 1924, the statue features a bronze Asbury on horseback, designed by H. Augustus Lukeman; the pedestal with selected quotations by Asbury was designed by Evarts Tracy.

During his lifetime, the Methodist Church, originating in England, faced opposition; despite this, founder John Wesley continued to expand the church domestically and internationally. In 1771, Asbury and another preacher, Richard Wright, were selected as missionaries to travel to the American colonies to establish religious congregations. However, Asbury’s time as a missionary coincided with the American Revolution. He remained the sole Methodist missionary during the war, but had to go into hiding as he did not renounce his British citizenship during the revolution.

After the war’s end, Methodist missionaries once again traveled to the country, and in 1784, Asbury, along with preacher Thomas Coke, were elected as bishops of the American Methodist Church. When Coke returned to England a few years later, Asbury continued as the leading bishop for the congregation. He continued to preach along the Eastern United States for the rest of his life, and interestingly, never owned or rented a permanent home throughout his life in America. In addition to his religious leadership, Asbury also became an advocate for abolition, even urging George Washington to draft anti-slavery legislation.

When the Francis Asbury Memorial Association advocated for the commission of a statue in memory of the 100th anniversary of his death, their selection of Washington, DC as the eventual location was not only due to the city’s prominence as the nation’s capital, but also because of Asbury’s ties to the area. While, as previously mentioned, he did not own or rent any property, Asbury preached and visited Georgetown and the surrounding area many times. The memorial's location at the prominent intersection of 16th and Mount Pleasant streets serves as a reminder of the religion’s rich history.

DC Inventory: February 22, 2007

National Register: October 11, 2007

Within Mount Pleasant Historic District and Meridian Hill Historic District

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The north side of the 1800 block of Park Road, NW features a distinguished group of ten large turn-of-the-century suburban residences, impressively sited on terraces above a curving cross-town artery. Together, the houses offer an exceptional display of Edwardian-era architectural eclecticism in Mount Pleasant.

In a community dominated by speculative rowhouse development, this unique group of large, custom-designed houses illustrates the aspirations of prosperous businessmen, bankers, and professionals. Included in the block are buildings designed by several locally prominent architects, including Frederick B. Pyle, Harding & Upman, Appleton P. Clark, and C.A. Didden & Son. The ten houses were built between 1892 and 1911 and feature a variety of distinctive design elements between them.

DC Inventory: December 14, 1977

National Register: November 15, 1978

Within Mount Pleasant Historic District

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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

Within Mount Pleasant Historic District

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One of the few memorials in Washington erected to an inventor, the Guglielmo Marconi Memorial immortalizes the contributions the inventor made to telecommunications in the 20th century. The statue has two main components: a smaller granite block with a portrait bust of Marconi on top of it, and a larger granite block featuring a symbolic female figure seated with a globe in front of her, with waves representing electrical currents surrounding them. Funded by the Marconi Memorial Foundation and completed in 1941, the statue pays tribute to Marconi’s great successes. Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, is responsible for developing wireless telegraphy, furthering earlier contributions in the field by Heinrich Hertz. After being approached by a British company to test his inventions, Marconi eventually established wireless telegraphs between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII of Britain in the early 20th century. For his accomplishments, Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and his invention was widely used. After the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, ships began installing Marconi’s wireless telegraphs as a safety feature. While not an American inventor, Marconi’s statue in DC recognizes the international impact that his invention had on telecommunications and technology in the early 20th century. The development of wireless telegraph technology furthered future technological advancements during this time, and Marconi’s statue reminds passersby of that legacy and his contributions. DC Inventory: February 22, 2007

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The Stoddard Baptist Home, known historically as Ingleside, is a skillful example of the Italian Villa style of residential architectgure. Built in the early 1850s, Ingleside has had a distinguished architect and ownership history. Throughout its 135 years, the house has been occupied by prominent citizens or charitable organizations. It is the design of an architect of major significance in American architecture, Thomas Ustick Walter.

DC Inventory: June 7, 1979

National Register: January 8, 1987

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