Halcyon House: Halcyon House's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, beginning with its builder, Benjamin Stoddert.

Halcyon House was built in 1787 by Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the Navy and a Revolutionary War hero. He served as Secretary of the Revolutionary War Board in Philadelphia from 1779 to 1781 and subsequently returned to Maryland, where he married Rebecca Lowndes, daughter of a founder of Bladensburg and niece of Thomas Bladen, Governor of Maryland. In 1783 Stoddert became a partner in the prosperous Georgetown shipping firm of Forrest, Stoddert and Murdock. He acted as President Washington's confidential agent during the early negotiations for the establishment of the District of Columbia, and his home was the scene of frequent informal conferences important to the shaping of national as well as local history.

Halcyon House's interior was greatly altered in the 20th century, particularly in the period from 1900 to 1938, but the original freestanding brick Georgian mansion remained reasonably intact within the shell of the new house. For some 20 years through the late 1990s, the house was restored to its original appearance.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

National Register: March 31, 1971

Within Georgetown Historic District

Halcyon House is included on the Haunted History of DC Tour. Georgetown’s Halcyon House is said to be haunted by its original builder, Benjamin Stoddert, along with Albert Clemens who owned the house from 1900 to 1938. Not unlike Sarah Winchester and the famous Winchester Mansion in San Jose, California, Clemens transformed Halcyon House through a series of bizarre renovations, adding stairwells and doors to nowhere and dozens of tiny rooms. He reportedly kept renovating in an attempt to prolong his life. This resulted in a strange, disorienting building with mysterious passageways and hidden chambers.