White-Meyer House
White-Meyer House was designed by renowned architect John Russell Pope, who designed the Jefferson Memorial, the National Gallery of Art (West Building) and the National Archives. Located at 1624 Crescent Place, the house was home to two prestigious Washington families. The property was purchased in 1910 by distinguished American diplomat Henry White, who served as ambassador to Italy and France. The red brick Georgian house was completed in 1912 at a total cost of $155,497.
During the Whites' occupancy, the house was the scene of many significant social and historical events. Notable guests included Georges Clemenceau, Robert Cecil, Henry Cabot Lodge and President Warren Harding. In 1917, at the request of the Department of State, Ambassador White lent the house to the French mission of Marshall Joffre for its headquarters, and the French flag flew from the residence while high-level strategic meetings took place inside. Marshal Joffre later wrote that in this house "were sown the seeds of military and naval cooperation which bore fruit several months later on the battlefront."
When Henry White died in 1927, the property passed to his son, John Campbell White. Eugene Meyer, who subsequently became owner of The Washington Post, rented the house for several years before purchasing it in 1934. The Meyers' daughter Katharine (Katharine Graham) spent her teenage years in the house. Prominent guests included Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Thomas Mann, Earl Warren, and John and Robert Kennedy.
After the Meyers' deaths, the house became the property of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation and was leased for use by the Antioch Law School Library. In 1987, the house was purchased and restored by Meridian International Center. Great care was taken to retain the house's architectural integrity and preserve as much of the original garden as possible. Throughout the house, ceilings and walls have been refinished and architectural details and period hardware restored or recreated. The renovation, completed in 1988, won an American Institute of Architects award for excellence.
White-Meyer House is located at 1624 Crescent Place, NW. Open Hours – 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday, with additional open hours when an exhibition is on view in the Cafritz Galleries. The house is available for special event rentals. Call 202-667-6800 for further information or visit the website www.meridian.org. Metro stop: Dupont Circle or U Street.
Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places Washington, DC Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.
