Halcyon House

Last updated
Halcyon House
Halcyon House.jpg
Halcyon House in 2022
Location map Washington DC Cleveland Park to Southwest Waterfront.png
Red pog.svg
Location3400 Prospect Street NW
Washington, D.C.
Nearest cityWashington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°54′20.7″N77°4′5″W / 38.905750°N 77.06806°W / 38.905750; -77.06806 Coordinates: 38°54′20.7″N77°4′5″W / 38.905750°N 77.06806°W / 38.905750; -77.06806
Built1787 [1]
ArchitectBenjamin Stoddert [1]
Architectural style Federal [2]
NRHP reference No. 71001002
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 31, 1971
Designated DCIHSNovember 8, 1964

Halcyon House is a Federal-style [2] home in Washington, D.C. Located in the heart of Georgetown, the house was built beginning in 1787 by the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert. [1] [3] Its gardens were designed by Pierre L'Enfant, [4] and for several decades in the early 19th century Halcyon House was the center of much of Washington's social life. [3]

Contents

History

After the death of his wife and his finances declining, Stoddert transferred ownership of Halcyon House in 1802 to his daughter, Elizabeth Ewell, and her husband, Thomas. [5] Thomas and Elizabeth's sixth child, Richard S. Ewell, was born in the house in 1817, and he went on to become a noted Confederate general during the American Civil War under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. [5] The Ewells vacated the home in 1818. [5] A succession of owners had possession of the house over the next 80 years. [6]

Halcyon House was sold in 1900 to Albert Clemens, a nephew of Mark Twain. [1] [3] The original structure was heavily altered over the next 38 years as Clemens renovated the house and added structures. [1] [3] Clemens believed that perpetually rebuilding the house would extend his life. [4] [6] The coach house was joined to the building, the north face and rear of the house added onto extensively with apartments, rooms were built within rooms, hallways added and then walled off, and even a small crypt added in one room. [4] [6] After Clemens' death, the house stood unoccupied for four years until purchased by Dorothy W. Sterling, the wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. [6] Ownership changed again in 1951, [6] and Georgetown University bought the property in 1961 and used it as a dormitory. [3]

Halcyon House was purchased by architect Edmund Dreyfuss in 1966 and, as of 2009, was occupied by his son, noted sculptor John Dreyfuss. [3] [7] The historic home was extensively reconstructed from 1978 to 1995 to restore it to its original appearance. [3] The house and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places [6] and during the period Dreyfuss maintained residency and ownership, served primarily as a venue for special events. [3] Halcyon House was put on the market in 2008 for $30 million. [8] It was re-listed in January 2010 and, as of September 20, 2010, had been on the market for 250 days and was listed at $19.5 million. [9]

In November 2011 the Halcyon House sold for a price of $12.5 million to Dr. Sachiko Kuno, and Dr. Ryuji Ueno, just two weeks after the price was lowered from $15 million. [10] The house is currently used as headquarters for Halcyon, a non-profit whose mission is to "accelerate the impact-driven future of business." [11]

Related Research Articles

Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) United States historic place

Georgetown is a historic neighborhood and commercial and entertainment district located in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 in the Province of Maryland, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years. Georgetown remained a separate municipality until 1871 when the United States Congress created a new consolidated government for the whole District of Columbia. A separate act, passed in 1895, specifically repealed Georgetown's remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown's streets to conform with those in the City of Washington.

Benjamin Stoddert 1st United States Secretary of the Navy

Benjamin Stoddert was the first United States Secretary of the Navy from 1 May 1798 to 31 March 1801.

Richard S. Ewell United States Army officer and subsequent Confederate general

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee and fought effectively through much of the war, but his legacy has been clouded by controversies over his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg and at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

Benjamin Stoddert Ewell

Benjamin Stoddert Ewell was a United States and Confederate army officer, civil engineer, and educator from James City County, Virginia. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1832 and served as an officer and educator.

The Newark Museum of Art Art museum in New Jersey, United States

The Newark Museum of Art, in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, is the state's largest museum. It holds major collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world. Its extensive collections of American art include works by Hiram Powers, Thomas Cole, John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Church, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Stella, Tony Smith and Frank Stella.

House of the Temple Building in D.C., United States

The House of the Temple is a Masonic temple in Washington, D.C., United States that serves as the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

The Fendall family was a prominent American political family that had its beginnings when Josias Fendall immigrated to Maryland in the early 1650s. He was appointed the 4th proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1656 to 1660.

Belmont–Paul Womens Equality National Monument National Historic Site of the United States

The Belmont–Paul Women's Equality National Monument is a historic house and museum of the U.S. women's suffrage and equal rights movements located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The monument is named after suffragists and National Woman's Party leaders Alva Belmont and Alice Paul.

Jackson Place

Jackson Place is a Washington, D.C. street located across from the White House and forming the western border of Lafayette Square between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street, NW, beginning just south of Connecticut Avenue.

Old Stone House (Washington, D.C.) Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

The Old Stone House is the oldest unchanged building in Washington, D.C., United States. The house is also Washington's last pre-revolutionary colonial building on its original foundation. Built in 1765, Old Stone House is located at 3051 M Street, Northwest in the Georgetown neighborhood. Sentimental local folklore preserved the Old Stone House from being demolished, unlike many colonial homes in the area that were replaced by redevelopment.

Newton D. Baker House Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

Newton D. Baker House, also known as Jacqueline Kennedy House, is a historic house at 3017 N Street NW in Washington, D.C. Built in 1794, it was home of Newton D. Baker, who was Secretary of War, during 1916–1920, while "he presided over America's mass mobilization of men and material in World War I. After the assassination of president John F. Kennedy in 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy purchased the house and lived here for about a year.

Reportedly haunted locations in the District of Columbia Purportedly haunted locations

There are a number of reportedly haunted locations in Washington, D.C. Founded on July 16, 1790, the city is the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C., has been the site of military battles, deadly duels, assassinations, untimely deaths, and associated tragedies.

Holt House (Washington, D.C.) Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

Holt House is an historic house, located on the grounds of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Thought to have been built before 1814, it is one of the most important examples of early Neoclassical architecture in the city, and was one of the major houses in the new Federal City when it was built. Its caretaker has been the Smithsonian Institution since 1889, and is the oldest building under the Smithsonian's auspices, but has been left vacant since the 1980s. It was listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1964 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973.

Holt House has a long history of being in a bad state of repair. Its present condition is bad, and it was in a deteriorated condition when purchased by the Smithsonian in 1890.

Housing at Georgetown University Aspect of Georgetown University residential life

Housing at Georgetown University consists of 13 residence halls at the main campus and a law center campus. Housing on Georgetown's main campus is divided between "halls," usually more traditional dormitories, and "villages", usually less traditional apartment complexes. In addition, Georgetown operates many townhouses in the Georgetown neighborhood, usually for second, third, and fourth-year students.

Evermay Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

Evermay is a historic Federal architecture-style house at 1623 28th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Georgetown neighborhood. The property originally extended south to Q Street, but the other houses were divided from the property.

John Stoddert Haw House Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

John Stoddert Haw House is a historic building, located at 2808 N Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Georgetown neighborhood.

The Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC is a luxury hotel located at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.

Bel Air (Minnieville, Virginia) Historic house in Virginia, United States

Bel Air Manor is a colonial-era plantation manor located in Minnieville, Prince William County, Virginia. Built in 1740 as the Ewell family seat, the home was regularly visited by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who was a cousin. It later served as the home of Mason Locke Weems (1759–1825), the first biographer of George Washington and the creator of the cherry tree story. Extraordinarily well preserved for its age, Bel Air was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Today, Bel Air remains a private residence and a working farm. Bel Air is not to be confused with "Bel Aire", a similarly named house five miles to the east.

Rosewood Washington, D.C. Building in the United States

Rosewood Washington, D.C. is a luxury boutique hotel located at 1050 31st Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Originally an office building known as the Canal Building, it was constructed in 1963, and was the first major new building constructed in Georgetown in 50 years. The structure was purchased by two local real estate development companies in 2008 and converted to a hotel. The renovation won multiple awards. The hotel, branded as and managed by Capella Hotels and Resorts, opened in 2013 as the Cappella Hotel. The developers sold the property to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which rebranded the hotel as the Rosewood Washington, D.C in 2016.

Georgetown Car Barn Historic streetcar terminal in Washington, D.C.

The Georgetown Car Barn, historically known as the Capital Traction Company Union Station, is a building in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Designed by the architect Waddy Butler Wood, it was built between 1895 and 1897 by the Capital Traction Company as a union terminal for several Washington and Virginia streetcar lines. The adjacent Exorcist steps, later named after their appearance in William Friedkin's 1973 horror film The Exorcist, were built during the initial construction to connect M Street with Prospect Street.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Moeller, Gerard Martin and Weeks, Christopher. AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. 4th ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. ISBN   0-8018-8468-3
  2. 1 2 Poppeliers, John C. and Chambers, S. Allen. What Style Is It?: A Guide to American Architecture. 2d rev. ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons, 2003. ISBN   0-471-25036-8
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gamarekian, Barbara. "200 Years of House, 17 Years of Renovation." New York Times. July 27, 1995.
  4. 1 2 3 Alexander, John. Ghosts: Washington's Most Famous Ghost Stories. Arlington, Va.: The Washington Book Trading Co., 1988. ISBN   978-0915168071
  5. 1 2 3 Casdorph, Paul D. Confederate General R.S. Ewell: Robert E. Lee's Hesitant Commander. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky, 2004. ISBN   0-8131-2305-4
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 National Park Service. "National Register Information System". Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  7. ↑ Donnally, Trish. "Inspiring Sculpture Studio in Halcyon House." Washington Spaces. Winter 2005.
  8. ↑ Fleishman, Sandra. "$49 Million. In This Economy?" Washington Post. October 4, 2008; Castro, Melissa. "Halcyon House May Break Record." Washington Business Journal. August 29, 2008.
  9. ↑ TTR Sotheby's International Realty
  10. ↑ UrbanTurf LLC
  11. ↑ "Halcyon". Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.