Meridian House
This ornate mansion, built by John Russell Pope, has long housed international diplomatic operations.
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Built between 1921 and 1923 by John Russell Pope, Meridian House is an 18th-century French-style mansion, built for Irwin Boyle Laughlin, an American diplomat and an heir of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company fortune. With his fine collection of 18th-century French art and Asian porcelains on display, Laughlin's mansion entertained much of DC's artistic community.
The ornate Beaux Arts exterior of the house, as well as its opulent interiors, has been well-maintained, as have its well-landscaped and terraced grounds. The international diplomacy-focused nonprofit Meridian International Center has been based out of the house since the 1960s.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: May 8, 1973
