Davidson Building
This building, facing McPherson Square, makes up part of the imposing face of Washington's financial district.
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Constructed facing McPherson Square in 1917, the Davidson Building, designed by prominent local architect B. Stanley Simmons, is a representative example of a large scale private office development. In addition, the building fits within a category of private development designed and built for the federal government shortly before the Public Buildings Commission initiated policies to discourage the future practice of this trend. After the Federal Trade Commission left the building in 1918, subsequent tenants reflected the development of the 15th Street NW corridor as Washington’s “Wall Street.”
As one of the earliest tall commercial buildings constructed on K Street, the Davidson Building historically stood out among the diverse mix of smaller scale residential and commercial structures. As the neighborhood developed as a financial and real estate center in the 1920s and experienced further commercial development throughout the post-WWII period, the building has become one among many larger buildings in the area.
DC Inventory: July 28, 2016
National Register: October 4, 2016
Within Fifteenth Street Financial Historic District
