Walsh Stables
This stable marks the last gasp of horse-drawn transportation for DC's wealthy in the pre-automobile era.
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Built for "gold king" Thomas F. Walsh, this stable was an adjunct to the Walsh Mansion at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Walsh (1851-1910) immigrated to the United States from Ireland and participated in the Colorado gold rush that followed the Civil War. His was a phenomenal "rags to riches" story, precipitated by his discovery of one of the world's largest gold mines. Walsh moved his family to Washington between 1897 and 1898 and immediately set about acquiring the material trappings of the late-19th century wealthy classes.
Designed in 1902, the stable was ready for use just as the District of Columbia issued its first automobile drivers' licenses in 1903. The building cost an estimated $15,000 to construct. A small one-family dwelling unit was included in the stable's design, a typical employer-servant arrangement of the era.
DC Inventory: May 16, 1984
National Register: November 6, 1986
