French ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.

History

The residence, built in 1910, was designed by the French-born American architect Jules Henri de Sibour for William Watson Lawrence (1859-1916), a paint and white lead manufacturer. The mansion was purchased by the French government in 1936, The completion of the Reservoir Road embassy allowed the 400 employees of the French diplomatic mission at the time to work in a single location, rather than at the ten different offices scattered around Washington, where French diplomats had previously worked.

In 1941, the French government purchased additional lots of land overlooking Kalorama Circle, bringing the total size of the property to 3.6 acres. In 2017, however, the French government sold an empty tract of 0.58 acres of the property. The sale brought the total size of the property to about 3 acres, which is still the largest tract of land in Kalorama.

In February 2015, the manor house reopened after undergoing a $4.5 million, two-year renovation and restoration.

On Bastille Day 2021, a replica of the Statue of Liberty that used to reside at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris was installed and dedicated on the grounds of the residence.

Description and use

It is the largest single-family home in the Kalorama neighborhood; a 1980 guidebook published by Smithsonian Institution Press describes the home's setting as "a dramatic and beautiful site high above Rock Creek." Constructed of brick and limestone, the mansion house is described in National Register of Historic Places papers as an "imposing structure" with irregular massing, with its most prominent feature being a "dominant entry bay with large gables is anchored by two flanking square towers, each capped by a stone balustrade." Its architectural style has been variously described as Tudor Revival Jacobean Revival, and French Eclectic. In 2015, the estimated value of the property was $25–30 million. The home is 27,000 ft2 in size and has 19 bedrooms.

Known for its elegant parties, the home features art and decoration in both formal/traditional styles and modern styles. The main floor features several large reception rooms, including a dining room, an Empire Salon in the formal style, a "Winter Salon" in the modern style, and the Salon des Boiseries (paneled room) and, to the rear of the building, a terrace. The main floor also includes a huge entrance hall and grand staircase. Three guest rooms and the ambassador's private apartment are on the floor above; additional guest rooms are on the topmost floor. The art includes pieces borrowed from Versailles and the Louvre. Works are mostly by French artists such as Pierre Bonnard, but also by non-French artists such as Igor Mitoraj. The residents hosts some 10,000 people annually for receptions, cocktails, cultural events, and other occasions.

It is designated as one of many contributing properties to the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District, a historic district roughly bounded by Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Florida Avenue, N.W., 22nd Street, N.W., P Street, N.W., and Rock Creek. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

References

References

1. {{NRISref. 2009a
2. Kathy Orton, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2017/02/15/want-to-be-neighbors-with-the-obamas-ivanka-trump-and-jeff-bezos-heres-what-it-will-cost-you/ Want to be neighbors with the Obamas, Ivanka Trump and Jeff Bezos? Here's what it will cost you.], ''Washington Post'' (February 15, 2017).
3. Jura Koncius, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/the-french-ambassadors-residence-reigns-and-rocks/2015/04/23/9ac7dd56-c766-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html The French Embassy residence: Grand, rested and ready to host parties], ''Washington Post'' (April 23, 2015).
4. ''Yearbook of the Pennsylvania Society of New York'', 1917.
5. It was later the home of the mining millionaire [[John Hays Hammond]].''Washington, City and Capital'', American Guide Series, [[Federal Writers' Project]], [[Works Progress Administration]] (1937), p. 699.
6. Isabelle Gournay, "Appendix: Architects and the French Connection in Washington, D.C." in ''Paris on the Potomac: The French Influence on the Architecture and Art of Washington, D.C.'' (eds. Cynthia R. Field, Isabelle Gournay & Thomas P. Somma: Ohio University Press, 2007), p. 152.
7. Barbara Gamarekian, [https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/13/us/embassy-row-beyond-the-borders-of-immunity.html Embassy Row: Beyond the Borders of Immunity], ''New York Times'' (January 13, 1984).
8. (14 July 2021). "Statue of Liberty's 'little sister' takes up residence in Washington, DC".
9. [https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Sheridan-Kalorama%20HD%20Final.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District], United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, page 52 (page 56 of PDF).
10. Allan A. Hodges & Carol A. Hodges, ''Washington on Foot: 23 Walking Tours of Washington, D.C., Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and Historic Annapolis, Maryland'' (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980), p. 128.
11. [https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Sheridan%20Kalorama%20HD%20Contributing%20Structures.pdf Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District Contributing Structures], District of Columbia Office of Planning (April 2, 2016).