Real Estate Trust Company (Continental Trust Building)
Finished in 1914, the Real Estate Trust Building is an elegant example of early-twentieth century office architecture.
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The Real Estate Trust building stands out among DC’s early-twentieth century office buildings. The building is a steel and concrete frame structure, sheathed in ivory-colored terra cotta with poly chrome accents. Its ground floor is clad in white marble. The Real Estate Trust building was constructed between 1913 and 1914 in a highly ornate Beaux Arts Renaissance Revival-style, designed by the notable DC architecture firm Milburn, Heister & Company; they also designed other prominent commercial and government buildings in DC and across the United States during the early-twentieth century.
The Real Estate Trust building has weathered nearly a century without major alterations. While the ground-floor interiors have been renovated, the street-level façade appears to have been restored close to its original appearance, a rarity for downtown commercial buildings with their ever-changing first-floor tenants.
DC Inventory: October 2, 2014
National Register: January 20, 2015
