Thanksgiving Riches
A Note from the Editor
By James H. Schwartz | Online Only | Nov. 24, 2010
Every day, when I leave the Washington headquarters of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to begin my walk home, I realize how much I have to be thankful for. There's my health (so far the knees are holding up), my good fortune (serving as editor of Preservation is never a burden, always an honor), and my surroundings. The capital city is a preservationist's delight, and the 15-minute walk to our house allows me time to admire many outstanding buildings and monuments. Herewith, ten of my favorites—all of which you can see on your next visit to the District of Columbia. I bet they'll have you offering an enthusiastic expression of thanks as well.
1. National Trust Headquarters: It's hard to believe that the offices where we work at 1785 Massachusetts Ave. NW were once gargantuan apartments for the city's elite. Built by the McCormick family beginning in 1917, our building would look equally at home in the 16th arrondissement in Paris. Walk by at dusk when the glass canopy over the front door glows, then take a peek at the elaborate plaster ceiling inside the lobby. I hope the sparkling form of 1785 will inspire you to save historic buildings in your own city.
2. The gleaming white mansion at 15 Dupont Circle has several claims to fame. It was long the residence of Cissy Patterson, owner of The Washington Times-Herald, and a dominant figure in the city's publishing industry; President Coolidge lived there while the White House was under renovation; and it's one of only two Stanford White mansions in the District of Columbia. My favorite feature? That wall-hung fountain between the first and second floors, which lends the stairwell a marvelous sense of tranquility.
3. The fountain in DuPont Circle: This elegant work by Daniel Chester French (sculptor of the Lincoln statue in the Lincoln Memorial), consists of a shallow bowl atop a heavily carved shaft with allegorical figures of sky, wind, and sea. The fountain honors Civil War admiral Samuel F. Dupont, and was dedicated in 1921. It's a landmark, a meeting place, a slice of history, and a beloved landmark in this part of Northwest D.C.
4. The Blaine Mansion at 2000 Massachusetts Ave. NW just emerged from a comprehensive and lengthy renovation, and the building probably hasn't looked this good since it was completed in 1888. If you think the roofline seems impressive today, look for pre-1944 pictures that show the original chimney caps. According to the AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C., they were removed after "alarming cracks" began to appear.
5. The Alice Roosevelt Longworth House directly across the street at 2009 Massachusetts Ave. NW deserves attention less for its Beaux-Arts facade, and more because it was a center of Washington social life. Alice, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, married Rep. Nicholas Longworth in 1906, and lived in this mansion until her death in 1980. If those walls could talk! Mrs. Longworth famously kept a pillow in her living room with the embroidered expression: "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me."
6. The Indonesian Embassy at 2020 Massachusetts Ave. NW has to be one of the more exuberant souvenirs of new money in the entire city. Constructed in 1903 by Thomas Walsh (who built an immense fortune in mining), the front porch once reportedly incorporated a chunk of gold ore. Walk around Walsh's house on the 21st Street side and take a look at the incredible details, but don't bother marching down to P Street side to see the back: an unattractive embassy addition blocks the view. Interesting side note: Thomas Walsh's daughter, Evalyn, who grew up here, eventually married into the McLean family and became the last private owner of the Hope Diamond.
7. The Cosmos Club at 2121 Massachusetts Ave. NW is a glorious survivor from the period when Massachusetts Ave. was lined with the mansions of the rich and the very, very rich. Today, many of their homes are embassies, and the Cosmos is a private club. Mary Scott Townsend purchased a c. 1873 house here from Curtis Hillyer, and proceeded to build her own grand mansion around it. Her architects were Carrre and Hastings (they also designed the New York Public Library). You can enjoy a limited view of the lobby through the glass front doors; take a look at that staircase (!) and the double fireplaces.
8. Sheridan Circle, just one block west of the Cosmos Club, is one of the few Washington traffic circles to retain all of its original neighbors. First, admire the statue of General Sheridan by Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who also carved the presidential portraits on Mount Rushmore. Then look at the remarkable collection of mansions surrounding you—among them the embassies of Ireland, Greece, Vietnam, Egypt, South Korea, Latvia, and Romania. One sad note: the monument in front of the Irish Embassy commemorates a Chilean economist and American activist killed here by a car bomb in 1976.
9. Just off Sheridan Circle at 1606 23rd Street NW you'll find the impressive Turkish Ambassador's residence. Designed by George Oakley Totten Jr. (a famous Washington architect) beginning in 1910, for Everett H. Everett, the ornate Beaux-Arts pile is a testament to the power of ingenuity: Everett made his fortune by inventing the crimped metal bottle tops that once capped Coca-Cola and other soft drinks. Purchased by the Turkish government in the 1930s, the mansion was home to Ahmet Ertegun, who frequented Washington jazz clubs when his father was Turkish Ambassador, and went on to found Atlantic Records.
10. The 1915 Buffalo Bridge at the corner of 23rd and Q NW is a local favorite. Four enormous bison by sculptor Alexander Proctor mark the corners, and announce that you are crossing into Georgetown. This bridge (which also incorporates sculptural depictions of Native Americans, only visible from the parkway below) inadvertently caused a preservation success story. Construction of the span required relocation of the c. 1800 Dumbarton House to 2715 Q Street NW. The house is now beautifully restored and maintained by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.
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Comments
Submitted by Jackson at: November 30, 2010
Some of my absolute favorite buildings.
Submitted by Brian at: November 24, 2010
Boy,you weren't kidding! Those are extraordinary landmarks. I'm all for a revival of those architectural styles...