John Walker House (Isaac Owens House; Gannt-Williams House)

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The John Walker House contributes significantly to the cultural heritage and visual beauty of the District of Columbia. The house has long been known as the Gannt-Williams House and its date of construction initially thought to be circa 1805, but research in the Georgetown deed and assessment records shows that the house was not built until 1816-1817, when it was the property of Isaac Owens. The house represents a typical Federal-style townhouse found in Georgetown in the early nineteenth century.

In 1820, Isaac Owens is listed as a slaveholder in legal possession of five individuals. It is unclear whether he used enslaved laborers in the construction of the home. However, the site was an active site of enslavement in the 1820s. 

In the twentieth century, the Walker House has been the home of Washington newspaper columnist Drew Pearson and John Walker, former director of the National Gallery of Art.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: June 19, 1973
Within Georgetown Historic District

This site is included in the Capital City Slavery Tour for its owner’s enslavement of five individuals on the property. For further information on the role of enslaved laborers in the development of Washington, D.C. view the sources below or explore our Capital City Slavery Digital Exhibit.