Clarence Moore Residence (Old Canadian Embassy)

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The Clarence Moore Residence exemplifies the Beaux Arts style of architecture popular at the turn of the century in the houses built on Massachusetts Avenue. The house was built in 1906 for Clarence and Mabel Swift Moore and remained in the possession of Mrs. Moore (later Mrs. Wichfeld, after Clarence Moore died aboard the Titanic) until 1927, when it was purchased by the Canadian government for use as an embassy. The excellent interiors of the house have been well preserved, especially the southeast dining room, with its carvings in the style of Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721), the Englishman regarded as one of the greatest wood carvers in history. The dining room is modeled on Gibbons' work on the interiors of William Stanton's Belton House at Grantham, England, built between 1685 and 1688.

The Moores commissioned the firm of Price and de Sibour to design the house. As Bruce Price was deceased by the time the house was built, it is likely that Jules Henri de Sibour was largely responsible for the design. Born in France and raised in the United States, de Sibour attended Yale before returning to France for his architectural training at the École des Beaux-Arts. His other works in DC include the Hibbs Building, the Hamilton Hotel, and the Riggs Building.

After Mabel Swift Moore sold the residence to the Canadian government, the house was used as the Canadian embassy until the 1980s. In 1993, following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Uzbekistan the previous year, the house became the Embassy of Uzbekistan.

DC Inventory: February 22, 1972 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: April 3, 1973