White-Meyer House

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White-Meyer House
White Meyer House in Meridian Hill.jpg
Location map Washington DC Cleveland Park to Southwest Waterfront.png
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Location1624 Crescent Place, NW, Washington, District of Columbia
Coordinates 38°55′13″N77°2′15″W / 38.92028°N 77.03750°W / 38.92028; -77.03750
Area1½ acres
Built1912
Architect John Russell Pope
NRHP reference No. 87002293 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 20, 1988

The White-Meyer House is a historic mansion in Washington, D.C.'s Meridian Hill neighborhood of Northwest D.C. Designed by renowned American architect John Russell Pope, the residence was originally commissioned by diplomat Henry White.

Contents

The property's notable ownership history includes

View of the house in the 20th century. Henry White House 1624 Crescent NW DC.jpg
View of the house in the 20th century.

Renowned architect John Russell Pope designed the house and completed it in 1912. Henry White, an American diplomat and a retired ambassador to Italy and France, purchased the property in 1910. He hosted premier diplomatic salon during his stay, inviting well-known guests, including Georges Clemenceau, Robert Cecil, Henry Cabot Lodge and President Warren Harding. In 1917, Henry White lent the house to the French mission of Marshal Joseph Joffre to use as its headquarters. While the French flag flew outside of the residence, Marshal Joffre used the house to host high-level strategic meetings. Many policy meetings were had at the dining room table, including conversations that led to the establishment of the U.S Department of Health, Education and Welfare. When Henry White died, the house was passed on to his son John Campbell White. Financier Eugene Meyer rented the home while he was Chairman of the Federal Reserve (1930–1933), after which he bought the bankrupt Washington Post at auction. In 1934, Meyer bought the house from White for $355,000. During their ownership of the home, the Meyers hosted many prominent guests, including Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, Thomas Mann, Earl Warren and Saul Alinsky. [2] [3]

After the Meyers' deaths, the house became the property of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, which then leased the house to the Antioch Law School Library. In 1987, Meridian International Center purchased the property.

Timeline

Architecture

The White-Meyer House holds historical importance both for its illustrious guests and as an early work of renowned architect John Russell Pope - being the first of only two residential designs he created.

Architectural Details

Landscape Features

The property retains much of its original 2-acre garden, including:

Preservation & Recognition

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ Sanford D. Horwitt (1989). Let them call me rebel: Saul Alinsky, his life and legacy. Knopf. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-394-57243-7.
  3. 1 2 Carol Felsenthal (1993). Power, Privilege and the Post: The Katharine Graham Story. Seven Stories Press. p. 127. ISBN   978-1-60980-290-5.
  4. ↑ Sanford D. Horwitt (1989). Let Them Call Me Rebel: Saul Alinsky — His Life and Legacy. Knopf. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-394-57243-7.
  5. ↑ National Register of Historic Places. White-Meyer House

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