[eDroit Park
Conserved
Government of the District of ColumbiaIvlarion S. Barry,
Jr.
Mayor July, 1979Historic Development
r'
~. Original boundary of leDroit Park McGill buildings 1873-1887 Buildings constructed during 1880's & '90's ,. "\LeDroit
Park
~
Conserved
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Washingtonians Dtvi~•on
OlSTRJCT
OF COL .. : ~IAPUBUC LIBRARY
prepared for the D. C. Department of Housing and Community Development
by
Carr, Lynch AssociatesGOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
DEPAfn.-~ENT OF HOUSING A-"-0 COMMUNITY DEVElOPMENT WASHINGTON 0 C
~.p. ,,, SEP 1 1979 To the Citizens of the LeDroit Park Historic District: This book is for all the residents of the LeDroit Park Historic District who wish to improve their homes or work places. It is not a list of regulations; i t is a guide for the historic restoration of buildings in your community. We had these guidelines prepared because your area is unique and has historic significance worth preserving. The Department supports this report and intends to use it as a guide in all discussions with your community. The
guide-lines should assist staff and homeowners by expediting reviews and avoiding mistakes that could cause delay. For these, or any guidelines, to work successfully, the staff and citizens must have a mutual respect and under-standing for each other's objectives. The prime considera-tion of these guidelines is the maintenance of the LeDroit Park Historic District. We include in maintenance the stabilization of the community's existing population, which means we hope to avoid any displacement. For this reason, what a person can afford when he or she wishes to fix up a property must be taken into account. We intend to remain sensitive to the needs and economic restraints of people in LeDroi t Park while we also attempt to fulfill our public responsibility to the area's historic character by keeping unwelcome or unwanted changes to a minimum.
You will note that these guidelines are grouped in three
categories. The first, the preferred category, is labelled,
"this is the preferable way to do it," and contains changes which are best practice. In the second category, "sometimes
a good way" are changes which, under certain circumstances,
may be good practice. The last category, "generally
unacceptable" lists changes which are discouraged. We urge people to choose the "preferable way," if they can afford it,
for it will give the best results to the individual property as well as help the community. The middle category, with the sometimes acceptable items, recognizes that not everyone chooses or can afford the recommendations of the preferable
category. We believe that this middle category gives maximum opportunity for the DHCD to consider the individual
Wast!ingtoniana DI~ V'T f) COU rl\1
2
conditions of each owner and i. 1:: moderately priced improvements -of changes are included in a peJi application will undergo review.'
a permit application is for chan "preferable way" or in the "gene
We in the DHCD know that every c
its own mer its. For example. so i terns are always wrong while. de
others may occasionally be ace ep matter of general practice, any · all his or her changes from t~e '
category can generally expect prl review by our Department.
People do not have to do any til in!'
if they don't want to. so long a~
regulations such as the Building Zoning Regulations. It is also r
improve a home such as some lands
having to get permission from the no requirement that owners must r But if you want to do something t
building which requires a buildin should be consulted.
Under D.C. law, this Department r application for demolitions. exte
construction within your historic•
uses one of the government progrru
of this book, which make money av:
districts or community developrnenl
further reviews, as listed. All r~
guidelines.
All of the staff of the Departmenr assistance to the community as its guidebook. The entire contents ar
review and evaluation and possible and the community take into account or the availability of resources.
explanation of our intent will re~
Contents
A Brief History
7
The Architecture of LeDroit Park
13
How to Conserve a House
45
Basic Principles
46
Wooden Walls
55
Masonry Wails and Chimneys
61
Roofs
66
Windows and Doors
71
Porches, Steps and Rails
79
Fences, Yards and Landscaping
86
Signs and Other Modern Fixtures
90
Minor Additions
94
New Buildings and Major Additions
96
Resources
99
The Process of Design Review
100
How to Check the Condition ofa House
103
Notes on Buying a House or Getting
a Building Permit
107
Glossary
108
\\'asbingtonia a Division DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Introduction
The LeDroit Park Historic District lies just south of the grounds of Howard University, and above the junction of Florida and Rhode lsland Avenues, between Bohrer Street and 2nd Street, N.W. It is an outstanding exam
-ple of the American Romantic suburb.
Having passed through many changes, it still retains that basic character. Lying just outside of the "Boundary Street" (now Florida Avenue) of the original plan for Washington,
it is an early example of the growth of the city as directed by private speculation. It is also an example, much less frequently found, of the successful integration of architectural and subdivision design. The Secretary of the Interior has formally recognized the heritage
and special qualities of the LeDroit Park Historic District by listing it in the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic preservation is a growing move
-ment which has shifted in recent years from meticulously restoring individually significant landmarks to conserving entire neighborhoods for their residents. Change is recognized as a necessary element of neighborhood conserva
-tion; if carefully managed, it can permit full use and enjoyment by those who are living today, while retaining and enhancing an area's significant architectural and historical qualities. This handbook is written in that spirit, expressly for the citizens for the LeDroit Park Historic District. Its purpose is to help them improve their houses and their streets.
A Brief History
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~ :-:•--""---~-A Brief History
The LeOroit Park Historic District was origi
-nally located in Washington County just north
of the Federal City. This land was divided into large tracts and was either uncultivated or farmed. During the Civil War. the Camp
-bell Military Hospital was located in this general area. and in 1865 it became the Freedmen's Hospital. In 1869, Freedmen's Hospital was moved to the grounds of Howard University where buildings were expressly constructed to house its needs.
Howard University, located on the northern periphery of LeDroit Park, was chartered by Congressional law on March 2, 186 7.
General 0.0. Howard (1830-1909), founder
of Howard, was the University's first presi
-dent, serving from 1869-73. General Howard was also Commissioner of the Bureau of · D~!··-~-- D-~-~·---·- - _ J At_ 1 T
(the Freedmen's Bureau). This Bureau not
only assisted in providing food and work for
refugees and freedmen, but also provided education for former slaves. General Howard
and the Freedmen. s Bureau were instru -mental in establishing Howard University
-vvhich was to be open to all races. but has tradionally been a black university.
Another trustee of the university, Am7.i
L.
Barber, married the daughter of a successfulreal estate broker named LeDroit Langdon. resigned his trusteeship in the college and purchased some 40 acres of University lands
on a Sl1 5,000 promissory note. without
down payment. In 1874, the Executive Com
and accepted an offer from A.L. Barber & Company for $95.000 in full payment of
Langdon's note. Barber hired James McGill to design his new development, and named it for his father-in-law. The new subdivision appears on the map in 1873, romantic in intent and architecture, if not in its standard street grid. Packaged for the affluent, it emphasized seclusion, fine houses. a ''rural'' atmosphere, genteel neighbors and easy access
to the city. It was built for the "merchant,
professional man, or government clerk.·' Despite its origins and the proximity of Hmvard University. leDroit Park was to be exclusivelv white. It was enclosed by a wood and iron fence along its public front. and a high board wall at the rear (where Howard University and a black settlement called "Hmvard Town" lay). There were gates and watchmen to keep out the unwanted. One gate was at 3rd Street and Rhode Island Avenue.
By 1877, 41 new houses had been erected. at a cost of $200,000. Some were for clients and some were built on speculation, but all were designed by McGill. They were hand
some examples of romantic eclecticism -Italian Villa. Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Second Empire and Italianate -designed for show and individuality. These buildings were built at a time when architectural technology was rapidly changing in the U.S. Building
'
nation, and machines could stamp, grind, turn or cast complicated parts. McGill's cata
-logue lists such specialty services as bell hangers, slate roofers. fresco painters and stair builders, as well as suppliers of dumb-waiters, bronze hard~vare, mantelpieces and gas fixtures.
The houses were set back within formal gardens. An ornamental park circle, decorated with trees, flowers and a fountain, was estab-lished at 3rd and T Streets as a focus for the development. $50,000 was expended on street improvements, including paving, water, sewers, gas, brick walks, and ornamental lighting, and $4,000 on planting alone. There was a private trash collection service, as well as the private watchmen.
The new development became the residence of generals, professors, congressmen, busi -nessmen, and bureaucrats, as well as McGill, Barber, Langdon, and McClellan (one of the original pre-war land owners). By 1887, there were 64 houses here, but the pace of develop-ment was slowed as LeDroit Park weathered the economic catastrophes of the '70s.
Meanwhile, agitation arose to breaK tne color ban. Legal action was at first unsuccess-ful. A mob broke down the fence in 1888, but the fence was replaced with barbed wire. Finally. the District government took over control of the streets and they were opened to public access. In 1893 the first black resident moved in. A bullet went through his window while he was sitting at dinner, but he refu ed to leave. Gradually, other black professionals and officials made their entrance into the exclusive Park, which for a time was inte-grated. Howard professors moved in, and th~ area received the nickname of "Collegetown."
In these same late years of the '80s, the areas adjacent to LeDroit Park were sub-divided and developed, and it became an inte-gral part of the fabric of the city. The build-ing of sbuild-ingle houses for wealthy clients ceased, within the original subdivision, and the remaining lots were sold to speculators, who began to erect rather elaborate Queen Anne row houses. Along Florida A venue, residential buildings were converted to com-mercial use, and the new apartment hou es incorporated shops into their ground floors. By the beginning of World War I, almost all of the white residents had moved away, and the last row houses had been built. LeDroit Park had become the most exclusive area of black residence in the city. Many prominent people lived there: scholars, law-yers, musicians, journalists, and professional of many kinds; Mary Church Terrell, women's activist and first black woman on the Board of Education; her husband, the first black municipal judge; the first black con gressman after Reconstruction; Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the poet; Ralph Bunche, leader in the UN, and first black Nobel Prize winner; Senator Brooke of Massachusetts; and the first black mayor of the city, Walter Washing ton. Older residents remember lawn and block parties, Sunday band
.
concerts, and the fineAn elegant Wa~hington Row on 5th Street
Just before World War II, a second shift began. Some of the population moved to the upper northwest section of the city and the northern suburbs. During the war, two large halls were built to house government
workers, and these were later converted into Howard dormitories, one of which is located in the historic district. The trend accelerated after the war, as low income blacks moved in and the well-to-do fled. Some of the old McGill houses were divided into apartments. One of the finest of these, the original McGill house, was demolished in the '60s to make way for a Safeway store and its parking lot. Absentee landlords and a lack of maintenance allowed some of the structures to slide toward
LeDroit Park resident
decay. Street maintenance and trash collection deteriorated, and the old park circle was bi-sected by street paving. The benign relation with Howard University turned to conflict, as the institution sought to expand south into its residential neighbor. Large new University buildings arose on the edge of the area. The University now owns a large number of vacant houses, and has generated a traffic and parking burden. Today, the population of the area is mixed with both middle-income and low-income blacks and Howard University students.
Wasbingtoniana
Di•..: .
n1 ,..,...,.. _ uSIOnThe brick walks are spotted with asphalt patches, streets are broken and many alleys are unpaved. Most of the street trees are gone, although small new ones have been planted on 2nd and on Florida. On the houses, lintel arches have fallen here and there, corners are broken, slates are loose and roof crestings gone. Some 60 houses are boarded up, half of which belong to the Uni -versity. But the neglect is recent and there are signs of more recent recovery. Many of the McGill and row houses have been main
-tained in good condition throughout their existence and many more are being rehabili
-tated. The buildings \vere solidly built. and they are still sound.
The undulating walls, complex rooflines. elaborate cornices and window frames,
wrought iron steps and carved doors, and the rich array of materials - molded brick, stone, slate, pressed stone, terra cotta, wrought iron, stained glass - all catch the eye. The houses and rowhouses are boldly made. Much of this detail can be recovered.
~nd
a restoration of the varied 19th century color schemes and formal gardens would still further enrich the landscape. Utilities have already been placed underground, and some of the old street lights remain. The LeDroit Park streets, rela-tively treeless, narrow, and urban, depend on
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A notable concentration of McGill houses remains on the 400 block of U Street an area to which the somewhat more modest single and two-family houses \vere apparently relegated in his plans. This complete row of houses in the Italian Villa style may be unique in the United States. A good number of McGill houses still exist on the 500 block of T Street, and at the focal circle at 3rd and T Streets. Third and T were the two show streets of the original development, and this focus should be recreated. In sum, LeDroit Park is a remarkably preserved specimen of an early romantic suburb, in which street and house designs were coordinated by one good hand. More than that, LeDroit Park has played a central role in the history of the black leadership of this city.
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The Architecture of
LeDroit Park
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of
LeDroit Park
The late nineteenth century architect or builder could
choose from a wide variety of styles and motifs in the design
of a house or shop. Roof types, styles and house plans varied
widely, and yet there was a consistency in material and
details. Pattern books and builder's catalogues were a com
-mon source of metal work, wood trim, ornamental brick,
stone and slate. Many of these decorative details are still
intact, and are worth conserving. By understanding the style
and components of a building, we can identify those ele
-ments that are critical to its appearance.
Between 1873 and 1887, James McGill designed some
sixty houses in LeDroit Park. Most of these detached single
or two family houses were built of brick, with wood and
pressed stone details. Many are illustrated by engravings in
the promotional literature for the neighborhood published as
LeDroit Park Illustrated (1877) and The Architectural
Advertiser ( 1879).
Like many architects of his day, McGill worked in many
styles, including Italianate, Italian Villa, Second Empire,
Victorian Gothic, and Queen Anne. Some houses combine
several styles. Although the roof shapes, building outlines
and decoration vary a great deal from house to house, these
McGill houses share a common exuberance of detail. This
can be seen at the window mouldings, string courses,
brackets, cornices, cupolas and towers, ornate porches, deco
-rative metal work and patterned slates on the roof. These
decorative elements are all part of the "high styled" home.
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low hipped roo patterned vari-colored ---=~~~slate roof
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ornate details atcornice and windows
light-colored painted
---+-brick or stucco walls
plain wooden porch - - + posts with simple
brackets (if any)
Italian Villa
IP"''~-l--tall, narrow 2/2 arch-headed de hung windows II~~J-4-+--*-+4f----1-~-*---J--a surprisingly r window such a is an example < McGill's own d• invention wooden porch • heavy cornice t - -symmetrical fa<
This style was inspired by the Italian farm house, which often included a prominent, flat
-topped, corner tower, a simple box or L-shaped plan, a low gable roof, and a plain light-colored wall surface. It was popularized in books such as those by Andrew Jackson Downing as appropriate for the "country gentleman'', symbolizing a simple and pastoral life. The Italian Villa style houses of LeDroit Park have L-shaped or symmetrical plans with long porches, arched windows, and gable roofs with deep overhanging eaves.
Originally, some of these residences had roof cresting and truss work at the gable ends .. But there is a noticeable absence of the elaborate detailing of cornices and door and window
Wall surfaces are plainer and the original color scheme simple - usually cream or buff \Vith darker trim, although varied colors may have hcen used later. Much of the 400 block of U Street is in the Italian Villa style. Here, rather than on the grander 3rd and T Streets. McGill placed his more modest houses, and they \Vere designed in a style appropriate to more modest budgets. The survival of this continuous row of houses in the Italian Villa style produces a streetscape which is possibly b
unique in the U.S.
c
a) Shown here. the U Street blo<.k between llh .md 'Sth
Streets is perhap-. one of the mtlst interestin~ in ld)r.nt Park. It represent~ the only remaming street of enllreh ,\\cGill destgncd houses and looks very much todav J\ 11 thd
when the area wa\ first de\eloped. ·
b) An example of the type of Italian Villa house found 111 thts
block: notice the low pitch to the rooL the wmmetmal facade. and the relative absence of ornate detail on corniCe. doors and windows.
c) The plam light colored wall with contrasting tl.lrk tnm ts a
characteristic feature ot the Italian Villa stvle: the umformitv
of color treatment on houses on this block helps 10 'tsu.tlly. tie the hou~es together a~ a special group
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d) Like the Italian farm houses which inspired this "villa" style. this McGill-designed house on Elm Street between 2nd
and 3rd Streets is modest in siz:e and relatively plain in its decorative treatment. The low pitched roof, deep overhanging
eaves. and wooden entry porch are common features of a house style popular in the 1800's. as suitable for the
·'country gentleman of modest means''
e) Ornate detail so characteristic of other McGill designed houses is. in these ·'Italian Villa'' examples. confined to
decorative chimneys, patterned slate roofs, iron roof crestings and finials. and an occasional wooden pendant at the gable end. A number of these decorative features can be seen in
this photo. Notice how dramatically different the house on the left looks, stripped of its coat of light-colored paint. Such major alterations can be questioned not only for their incon·
sistency with the original style, but also for the potential surface damage which may occur on the newly exposed brick walls.
low hipped (or flat) roof
asymmetncal mass1ng and facade paired windows and round-headed windows are a hallmark of this
style
projecting wooden entry porch with decorative carved and turned brackets, and posts
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IIdeep projecting cornice ornate wood brackets frieze
bracketed hoods over windows and doors
large 2/2 double hung windows of tall, narrow proportions
seen in brick, frame or stucco
paired wooden doors
with a glass transom
In contrast to the simple detail and balanced mass of McGill's Italian Villa houses, his few ltalianate houses in LeDroit Park exhibit asymmetrical facades and a greater variety of wooden decorative trim. A low roof and deep
overhang are still seen, but the plain cornice
is replaced by elaborate brackets often accom
-panied by carved panels in the flat wo den
boarding just below the roof edge. Brackets under the porch roof, and under the heavy
window and door hoods, are also
characteris-tic. (These ornate brackets are the hallmarks
of the style, but they caught the fancy of the
American builder, and may often be seen in
later buildings.) Arched and paired windows with ornate mouldings are common. There are cupolas and panelled, decorative doors.
The Morningstar Baptist Church at 1901 6th Street, formerly a residence, is an
excel-lent representative of the more elaborate
Italianate house. 330 T Street is a good example of a simpler, but handsome version. Beautifully detailed brackets under the eaves
of the gable roof frame a central round arch
window.
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a) This impressive ltalianate McGill House. one of only a few remaining in LeDroit Park, is on the corner of 6th and T
Streets. Although the color scheme is similar to the Italian Villa style, (light walls with dark trim) the roof windows and
porch are all crowned with carved wooden brackets and heavy
overhanging cornices. These decorative features are the hall
-mark of the ltalianate style house.
b) Heavy brackets under the eaves, a round-headed window, and bracketed wooden porch distinguish this brick residence
on 330 T Street as an ltalianate house.
c) A detail showing the deep over-hanging cornice and elaborate! y can•ed brackets (or "consoles"' as they are some
-times called when of this shape) of the house on the corner of
T and 4th Streets.
d) Carved, lathe-turned, and sawn wooden ornamentation is
often seen on the ltalianate style house. Here. a detail of lath turned \vooden porch posts.
decorative brick chimneys
with pressed brick panels
polychrome (many-colored)
patterned slate roof
narrow pointed arch windows -+-~Loll
of modest size; a ··cottage"
-Victorian Gothic
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---1---l~-tall, narrow proportions to house
11---*~r+---+---carved wooden pendant under
eave
J..<H..->.1--sawn wooden bargeboard along roof edge
brick (or frame)
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The interest in medieval art began in Great Britain in the 18th century as part of a funda-mental shift in society and culture. The Gothic Style caught on in the U.S. by 1830, and was first used for churches and schools. Few people could afford stone houses. but the invention of the jigsaw allowed the con truc -tion of light wooden imitations of Gothic forms. with "gingerbread, detail. McGill drew on the English and German Gothic tradition as illustrated in the common pattern books. As he promised in his advertisements, he used his inventiveness to give each house a unique appearance. But there are common elements to these Gothic houses. These include an irregular roofline, tall, pointed gables and towers and an asymmetrical
arrangement of plan and window placement. Pointed arches appear at windows and in the
gable. Wooden trusses and hanging pendants
at dormers or gable ends are common. Chim
-neys are often elaborate. Color was important in the original designs: patterned roof slates
and high-contrast trim colors were used. The
colorful roofs remain today.
51 7 T Street is a perfect example of the pattern book Gothic cottage. Many of its original details are still intact.
b c
a
a) Only two McGill-designed Gothic Revival houses remain. This one, a particularly fine (and enchaming) example of the style. is on T Street between 5th and 6th Streets. The steep. narrow pitch to the gable roof is the most prominent dis
-tinguishing feature of the Gothic Revival style.
b) While quite different in character. this too is a Gothic Revival house. as can be seen by the steep gable at the center and the arch motif above the porch posts. This McGill house is on the corner of 3rd and lJ Streets.
c) The same house on U and 3rd Streets. as originally designed and dra\vn by architect McGill: this is reproduced from the Arcbitectural Aduerti;;er of 1879.
d) A detail of the ,gable. The decorative carved board under the roof edge is called a "bargeboard" (or "\·ergchoard"'): the vertical member suspended under the peak of the gable is called a ·'pendant'·. Thi~ decorate treatment at the top ut the gable is common on Gothic Revival hou;,es. although this example is more elaborate than most.
Mansard roof
projecting entry
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bay and porch
carved brackets and posts
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Second Empire architecture developed in France under Napoleon III. His rebuilding of Paris made it the most modern city in the world, and two international exhibition popu -larized French design. The style was influen -tial in the U.S. from 1860 until the decline of French prestige in the 1880's. The steep Mansard root originally used to circumvent the legal height limits in the rebuilding of Paris, is the distinguishing feature of the style. It will also show up in later LeDroit Park row houses. (Today, in degraded shingled form, it is a cliche for giving "style" to a commercial building along many a U.S. high
-way.) Other Second Empire details are similar to ltalianate: window mouldings, porch
details, brackets, eaves, and prominent cor-nices and string courses. The Second Empire
house is usually square or rectangular in plan with a projecting bay window and an entry porch. Ornate metalwork, patterned, multi -colored slates, and elaborate dormers are characteristic roof features.
The residence at 525 T is a particularly handsome example of the Second Empire Style. However, there are relatively few examples of this style in LeDroit Park.
a) A page from the Architectural Advertiser, printed in 1879
to advertise for sale the early McGill houses in LeDroit Park.
A good proportion of the houses are no longer standing: this is a fortunate survivor.
b) One of the few McGill-designed Second Empire style houses
remaining in the neighborhood. [n June 1978, when this photo was taken, the building was boarded up. It was recently
renovated by new owners. The preservation of this McGill building represents a major contribution towards maintaining
the features of LeDroit Park which make it a unique
Washington neighborhood.
c) A detail showing the characteristic "Mansard" roof with its decorative slate covering. The decorative ironwork around
the edge of the small corner tower is called ''cresting''.
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a Queen Anne window --+++llbl type: small square panes
of glass in upper sash
end
H-4~-+-6/1 double hung windows
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brackets (or classical
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-... ~ ,__.-LeDroit Park Neighborhood · -... ~c;::;:',...The Queen Anne style began in England in the 1860's and \\'as popularized in this
country by the 1876 Centennial. Basically. it
was a revival based on the medieval English
country house. J\kGill designed a number of
houses in this style: 421 T Street is an
example. The Queen Anne house is
usually a large one. and most often a frame
structure. It includes many kinds of materials
and decorative treatments. >vhich \vork to
-gether to produce a rich. exuberant appear
-ance. The silhouette of the Queen Anne
building is complex, asymmetrical. with tur
-rets, ornate chimneys. and projecting dormers
and bays. The surface is highly modelled .
often using decorative shingles. The texture rna v vary from floor to floor. The Queen
Anne house was multi-colored - different
colors being used to emphasize the variety of surface materials, texture and detail. A brick
building could be elaborated with pressed or
carved stringcourses, ornate brickwork, terra
-cotta panels, and metal or wood details
chosen freely from the many pattern books of
the day. Many sizes and kinds of double hung
windows are combined. The bottom sash is
usually a single piece of glass, while the upper
one is divided into small panes of colored or plain glass.
a
b c
a) A McGill-designed Queen Anne house on 3rd Street.
Typically Queen Anne houses are very large buildings: this house is no exception. The variety of roof shapes, the porch. the decorative chimneys, and the small panes in the upper sash of the windows, are all characteristic of the Queen Anne
style.
b) Perhaps because of their large size, (and cost to heat and
maintain) many Queen Anne houses have succumbed to decay and demolition. as has this house on U Street (between 3rd and 4th Streets). where only a portion of the original structure remains standing.
c) Among the ruins, a few fine Queen Anne detaib remain; this "sun burst" designed bracket is a decorative pattern
seen frequently on this style ot architecture.
d) This porch bracket on a later LeDroit Park building is also
Row Houses
In
the late 1880's, the construction of the large single and
double family houses designed by McGill came to an end.
For the next three decades, row houses filled the empty
spaces, creating a higher density residential pattern. The
days of the suburban retreat were not over, but the urban
housing type was changing to accommodate the smaller,
servantless household.
Rowhouse styles ranged from the highly detailed and tur
-reted Queen Anne of the earlier years to the more austere
Georgian Revival of the final filling
-
in. A strong street facade
is created by the uniform setback, the long attached rows,
and the consistent two and three story elevations. The street
wall is decorated with the ornamental iron steps, handrails,
and fencing. Color and contrast are provided by the mixing
of materials and details, and by the shifting forms of window
openings, projecting bays and irregular rooflines. Small yards
at front and rear are common, although some rowhouses
(along Florida A venue in particular) are built to the lotline
.
Toward the tum of the century, the LeDroit Park row
-house was noticeably less adorned. The rich wall surfaces of
the earlier Florida Avenue rowhouses, for example, with
their slate, stone, and terra-cotta details, can
be
contrasted
with the straightforward metal cornices and plain wall
surfaces of 2nd Street's Georgian Revival rows.
finials T1
+
1~
/A~~---projecting bays
/~
~
and towersr---,
1~~~~~~~J.~,J..~l~:~.l'
:t
cresting tall decorative chimneys-~ ~ , •towers, bays project up
v
~~\jF~D
~
::rt:~~of
from roof and out from entry to create complex facade~~~~~~~~~~~~~l-l
~0 ...,
[
and rhythm along street !1. r 111 double hung wind·
decorative pressed brick or terra cotta panels
. ~~ ... II" ;;;.:;.
~~~~
l~
•· ·-til--+-round-headed window often seen
-
~~--~~~~~~~==~~~~~~~~~~bc~:!~::~~-brick detailing and string course
stringcourses in high relief ~\ J... keystone
f---JI---_.__, ~·" ~- '!:: .._:"
1::::::: transom over entry do
- n
-ro-
·~ (often paired doors)niT
...•.
![
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paired doors and
-f--HR=~IFU=It-tRITitt-windows often seen
l~~~~~il
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.
ij~a-g~--~~~~~--~~I~:::J~
·
~
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I I~ highly textured surfac
lsp;l
J;;:;;;ili---1\
1 L often mixing brickL~_llbd
lt:J
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.
.
It Ll and stoneQueen Anne
Brick
-
Complex, slate-covered, steep roofs and tur-rets with varied gables and dormers are char
-acteristic of these more ornate LeDroit Park row houses, built in the late 1880's and early
1890's. Brick, stone, terracotta, and metal
features are imaginatively combined. Orna
-mental iron and ceramic tile frequently
enhance the entrance, which often has a
tran-som and a recessed entry bay. Basement
apartments and above grade entrances are common. There may be a rusticated stone base with Romanesque details.
Straight or segmental arch rusticated stone
sills and lintels, and molded brick voussoirs
(the wedge-shaped pieces that make up an
arch), frequently surround the tall, "one over
single piece of glass in each vertically sliding sash. and thus has ·'one over one' ' panes of glass.) Windows and doors may be paired. Rounded bays and oriel windows (small pro-jecting bays) accent the front facade, in addi-tion to stone and brick stringcourses, pressed brick panels. and stained glass.
Characteristic Queen Anne rowhouse streets include: the 400 to 600 blocks of Florida Avenue; portions of the 300 block of U Street: 1900-1921 2nd Street; the 1800 block of 5th Street: and portions of the 300 block of Elm Street.
b
c
a) This street vie\Y could have been taken in any one ot .1 number of Washington areas. since the Queen Anne brick row house i~ a common building type throughout the district. (House~ on 2nd Street).
b) Two story examples on .'lrd Street.
c) Three storv Queen Anne row houses along Florida Avenue.
d) Examples of the decorative detail characteristic of the Queen Anne Row; one ot the earliest and mmt elaborate of
W'!lk"'c---"'=-t-scalloped or hexagonal shingles in gable end
clapboard on main body
~~~~~:~~~~!;~llilll~l:lll[~
paneled frame aroundof house bay windows painted
contrasting color
shingles
fishscale shingles
multi-paned upper sash
in double-hung windows (often 6/1)
projecting 2-story bay -fll-ftH-+
wilh variety of materials and color
QueenAnne-Fratne
While of the same basic style, the wooden Queen Anne rowhouses are quite different in
effect. The facade is still exuberantly
modelled, but the general appearance is sim-pler and more domestic The walls are covered
in clapboard, with patterned shingles in the gables or above the projecting bays. The roofs are simpler in form. There is an entry porch, and sometimes one on the second story, as
well. The windows are rectangular and more uniform, with small divided panes of glass in the upper sash. Wooden panels occur below the first floor windows, or panelled frames
appear at the sides of windows. Textures and colors are designed to contrast with each other.
A good example of the Queen Anne frame
a
b
a) A view of six Queen Anne wood frame houses along 6th Street. The repetitive gable fronts and front porches make this an unusual and particularly interesting LeDroit Park Street.
b) Good examples of the LeDroit Park Queen Anne frame house. Notice the small panes of glass in the upper window sash, and the triangular panes of glass in the gable window on the house on the right.
c) The front porch is a major feature of these houses. Porches can go across the full front, or can be smaller entry porches, as seen on these houses along T Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Renovation which strips these buildings of their decorative shingles, clapboards and small paned \\'indow~ as in the house at the left. can cause an irreversible change in their character.
tall, narrow dormers
a distinctive Chateauesque window type
Chateauesque
"half timbering" effect
A----...4~-+-+-dark trim with light wall surface
brick (or stone) construction
The Chateauesque st.yle was derived from the
design of middle 16th Century French
build-ings. Briefly popular around 1880 in the
USA, residences in this style are character
-ized by an inventive mixture of Renaissance
and Gothic elements.
This style in LeDroit Park is seen in a
number of developer-built, 3-story row houses. 1900-1906 6th Street are good examples.
While modest relative to the grand New York
City Vanderbilt mansion which typifies the
style. (and modest. too. relative to the earlier
McGill houses), the Chateauesque design fea
-tures on this middle class housing type are
distinctive. These houses are always of brick
or stone, with very steep sided roofs. Some
look like a roof with a pointed gable pattern.
A tower (or "tourelle ·' as they are called
when, as here, they project out from the
second story), or oriel window is the single
major feature. Gothic elements such as nar
-row windows topped by steep gables. and
Renaissance details like the low round
-headed arch, are seen freely mixed on the
same facade. Decorative panels of pressed
brick, terra cotta or metal, are common. The
floor levels are marked with horizontal bands.
Typically, the entry is close to street level.
a) Chateauesque style row houses on Florida Avenue.
bl The major features of the LeDroit Park Chateauesque row house can be easily S('<"n on this 6th Street house: pointed
gable form. dark wooden banding around a lighter colored flat
wall surface: oriel v.:indows at the second story. c·1 This row house on 6th Street is a fine example of the Chateauesque style as seen in the LeOroit Park neighborhood. T vpical of the later revival style row houses, the building is
basically a flat-roofed box. However. a builder-designer.
through the inventive addition of a few touches. has created a
building with a good deal of interest and pleasing character. The application of a dark outlined gable form on the top of
the building recalls th<> appearance of the steeply pitched roofs
and the "halt timbering·· wooden bracing with light colored swcco intill - .seen on the early English hou\('S which inspired thi\ stvlr. The .'>ccond story hay window
lcalled an "oriel" window. when. as here. the h.l\' does nm
extend to the base of the house). is also a hallmark of the Ch..tteauesque stde.
b
d e
- - - s i n g l e h o u s e - - --::-H-:---double h o u s e
-l;-,:~ffiffij~~~~~~~iil'""'iWi~WJ;~-m~~~~mm~~~~~T
• l l l l l l l l l l · I J -'Ui!Ut ;t rH ilt:"iUIIIJ.II'I.IUI cornice deep projecting corbeled brick~
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1::1~
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decorative brick"brackets" under paneling below
cornice
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brick (often
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orielpressed brick)
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facade t ; 11 ~rJ 1/1 double hung
_ ll ~L windows
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---_._--?--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~raised
stringcour~
transom window
~~-A;:::;:-;rr.;;;-..~-+.1~~...;:::::::_;;:: ~
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oftenabove entry
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briclnarrow recessed --ii---m:~-w="''''--+ f-Ht---t-entry on
entry bay ' recessed wall
2 story projecting
raised entry with -f!===:::=::==:::flJL::d~ bay
c~~~ir~;n~~~\~
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story projectingJ6...W
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bayWashington Row
This is a familiar style in the City of Wash-ington, and is given its name for that reason.
Constructed in quantity by 19th Century
builders, it is however not so frequently found
in LeDroit Park. One group is on U Street at
the corner of 4th. In essence, it is an
Italian-ate style, done in brick and in a simpler, more severe form, which makes a more
regu-lar street wall. Probably it was designed for a
somewhat less affluent client than the Queen
Anne row. The roof is flat and therefore invisible. There is a straight, deep projecting cornice, whose ornate. corbelled brickwork echoes the ltalianate wooden bracket. A one or two story rectangular bay projects forward, while the raised entrance with its cast iron
steps and handrails is set back on the princi
-pal plane of the facade. Doors are tall and
relatively narrow, with many panels and a
glass transom above. The windows are wide and double hung, often "one over one".
with a segmental brick arch across the head.
The brick walls are smooth, often painted in
light hue, while the wooden trim is m a con
-trasting dark color.
a
a) A handsome example of the Washington Row house type.
on 5th Street. Notice the prominent cornice and the bracketed wooden entry porch.
b) Another 5th Street example. Typically the Wa~hington
Row house is a two story huilding.
c) The segmental arch douhle window is commonlv seen in \Vashington Row houses. .
round-headed doors and windows often seen
decorative pressed brick
panels
rusticated stone first floor
entry typically close to
f
~==
==~~~~~~---
deep decorative brickf
cornicem
~~mm
i ..
::·. .
. ··.··· .:;. .::· .· · > · .
corbeled brick "brackets"
1/1 (sometimes 2/2) windows
r - - - - , - - - - . . - - -... · l stone lintels and sills transom over door
raised entry with iron stair and handrail
grade
le~v:e~
l
J:~=~~l~IT~~O~~~~~~~~t:!l_L
__
Renaissance
Revival
The Renaissance Revival was a later imitation of Italian building. In this case, however modest the copy, it was the urban Italian palace of the 16th and 17th centuries that was the model: solid, dignified, and rather
austere. These rows are flat-fronted, two or three stories high, and the entry is typically
nearly at grade. The facade is brick, but usually the first floor is faced with large, rough surfaced stones (a ''rusticated'· front).
There is a tall projecting brick or wooden cornice. supported by brick corhelling which may be shaped to imitate brackets. There are decorative brick friezes below the cornice, brick panels below the windows. Stone lintels or segmental brick arches bridge the open
one or ··two over two··. and sometimes are
round-headed. Those of the top story are
often shorter than those belm.v. Examples of
the Renaissance Revival may be found on Elm
Street between 3rd and 5th Streets.
c
d
a) Unlike earlier style\, the Renaissance Revival row house
ahvays ha:, a flat front facade. In this three story example.
notice the rusticated first tloor.
b,c,d) The variety of surface texture created by demrative brick construction detail gives strong visual interest to an
~ ~~
~~~~~~~~~;~~t~
steep (almost vertical) sloped slate~ c~l 1 u· covered roof
;;;;;;~'Y-rT~a~
1
ffi~¥===1~ ~
~
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JEffil
~rt:r::t::rt:"":::::-;...
1
~
dormerR~u5=5iu:!U~..Ii'-l~l~uU~M~
---
u~u~u~r~uu~
...~\~
wooden classical cornice with dentils-
....l ltr.: L=.,..l--._ light colored lintels and sills on windows
EtB
B
6/6 (or 1/1) double hung windowstm
e
I
r
-_J~========:;t-wooden porch with plam cornice andwooden columns and rail
r
Georgian Revival
j_j_
'-multi-paned transom and door sometimes seen
- 3 bay facade with raised entry
The Centennial celebration of 187 6 sparked an interest in the early buildings of America,
as well as in the Queen Anne work of Great
Britain. Designers looked to early colonial
models: English, Dutch and Spanish. The
Georgian revival, which relates to the English
colonial prototype, appears in LeDroit Park
about 1900. It represents the last phase of
rowhouse building. The style is restrained
and the houses more modest than those built
previously. since now they were being built for people of moderate means. The flat brick
facades are usually two stories high with a
short slate-covered false roof (the echo of the
Mansard form) concealing the flat roof be
-hind. There may be false cornices in sheet
metal. The cornice is of wood or pressed
tradition. The "six over six" double hung windows have straight. light colored, stone
lintels and sills. Usually, there is a full length
\vooden porch, \vith a plain cornice, Tuscan
or Doric wood columns and wooden railing.
Red brick with white trim is characteristic but
light cream or lead spot brick also appear.
These rmvs are at times set back to give a
substantial front yard, which breaks the more uniform street pattern of the earlier styles.
Porches. windows and doors of many of these b
houses have been altered, and a number of the structures, although they are the most recent of the "historic" buildings, are in
poor repair. 1836-1854 2nd Street, 407-419
Elm Street, and 1824-1832 4th Street are
typical examples of the Georgian Row.
c
a) A row of Georgian Re\·ival houses along 1nd Street. The wooden tront por~h is the prominent de~ign feature of this stvle.
bl Notice the blse dormers on the roof. adding .1 tLluch of grandeur to ,1 ~imple huildin,~;.
r) Smaller scale \·ersinns of the ~:ww hnmc type .tlong Elm Street between .'\rd and lth Streets. :'\Jotice that the buildings
are onlv two hays wide. The porches on these house' have suffered an unu~ual Jmoum of decay .md alteration due w the
moisture problems encountered in this design. Wood
members are in such dose comact w the earth that water
basically a '·Georgian Revival" builder's row house with a "Spanish" curvilinear top
Spanish Revival
.
~-·-·-:...n-·-·-·-·
: .
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: - i' . : !'
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A' ~ ! ,, .. ··-~ .'
---~ ~· ----~r:>LeDroit Park Neighborhood · ,. ~c::::'
I 1
r"":"
plain walls of brick or stucco
projecting one story be
Elsewhere this was an important revival style, using stucco walls, tiled roofs, stepped and arched parapets and gables, round arched brick-trimmed doors and windows, projecting rafters and massive, heavily decorated en-trance doors. Here in LeDroit Park the Span
-ish Revival is used primarily as a variant form by the builders of the Georgian rows. Often it is no more than a stepped, curvilinear gable tacked on to the Georgian brick facade. Such a row occurs on Elm Street at the corner of
a
a) Like most of the later row stvles tn LeDroit Park. Spanish Revival houses are usually four{d in long repetitive rows. This block on Elm Street between .'3rd and hh Streets is Jn impress1ve grouping.
b) A closer look at one of the building-; in this grouping: basically a box, with a few simple decorative features.
c,dJ This example can be found on 2nd Street, intermixed
with Georgian Revival row houses. Except for the design of
the top third of the facade. they are essentially the same
b
d
a) Ga~e Eckington School seen from 3rd Street
b) Howard University Hospital seen from U Street
20th Century
Buildings
Although the last substantial building activity came to an end by 1920, change continued. Buses and cars, the growth of Howard Uni-versity to the north, the construction of new institutional buildings, and the demolition of older structures are features of this change. The park circle and its landscaping were de-stroyed by paving a trafficway through its center. New buildings have broken sharply with the character of the neighborhood.
The large-scale buildings which have changed the appearance of the neighborhood include two Howard University dormitories (originally war housing), the Gage-Eckington School, and the Safeway Store at 3rd Street and Rhode Island Avenue (which replaced a fine McClellan house). To the north, the Howard University Medical School makes a hard institutional edge of parking lots and large buildings. To the south the former com -mercial activities along Florida A venue are closed. Despite all this, the core of LeDroit Park remains in sound condition, still a most impressive example of the 19th Century Romantic suburb.
How to
Conserve a House
--~~---
·
-
-
- - ---~--:...~ _--...::..:---.
______
_
-
---
-
--
--
~~----_:.._-=-_~·-=--
-
-~-- ~~~...
~-- ~ =-=- ~--:::-:~~- ~--~...:::.-
=---
-
·=_=_-_---=-Arrest
Deterioration
Conserve
Improve
Function and
Appearance
Basic Principles
The first rule of conservation is to arrest deterioration, while
avoiding any changes that are irreversible, that is, which
seriously damage the original materials and structure of a
building, or which make it difficult for any future owner to
restore the building's esthetic and historic character if he
wishes to. This is the principal basis for saying that certain
changes should never be permitted.
The second rule is to restore the historic appearance of a
building, while also improving the way in which it functions
today. Buildings must change, if they are to remain useful.
We cannot exclude changes which respond to modern func
-tions or technology, but we should try to make them in
harmony with original architectural character. Past changes
in a building may also have historic meaning and can be
worthy of conservation. It is essential to see that change
connects what was and what now exists
-
that the area
remains eloquent of its past.
Original features should be retained and repaired where
possible, and replaced only when necessary. However, cost
may require that decorative elements be replaced with sim
-plified versions of the originals. Neighborhood character and
scale should be conserved as well. Any new additions must
respect the form of the surrounding buildings, as well as the
nature of the structure itself.
These principles must be applied with some flexibility, not
only because high costs may at times make historic accuracy
difficult to accomplish, but also because facades which are
not visible to the public can often be treated with some
individuality and freedom, just as house interiors are.
More-over, new technologies and new ways of living will in time
make some of these recommendations obsolete. Accumulated
experience will surely modify some of them. Clearly, then,
these guidelines must be reviewed periodically and applied
with judgment.
\...uusiuer 1. our r'ieignoors
Except for some of the early houses designed by the architect James McGill. most houses in LeDroit park are row houses which form a solid built edge along the street. The
individual houses were designed to have simi
-lar features - size, materials, window place
-ment, turrets, towers, porches, etc. - so that
each building works with its neighbor to
create a larger wall of buildings of uniform
height. with a regular rhythm of projections
and entries along the street.
Changes made in an individual house can disrupt the continuity created by these design
similarities from house to house. So think carefully about any changes to your house,
beginning first ·with a close look at other
houses on the block which still retain their
original character.
Elements of a LeDroit Park Street
I,similarity of materials and color from house to house unify appear -ance of the street uniform "setback" of
I
buildings (distanceback from street)
,
, variety of details in iron
handrails and steps, and wooden porches and rails add interest
to the street
uniform height of raised first floor entry
similar size and place-ment of door and window openings establish rhythm along the street.
fences continue the edge of the sidewalk between houses
Parts of a House
; bay
~ififii~ffi~~iiiffill~=-=-=
roof corniceI'
corbeled brick"brackets"
U
-~~~~~§~~~=--
decorative
brick~ paneling
frieze (flat area
below cornice)
lintel
p~;;;;;;n;;;;;;;;;;;;;;$.§i1JJ;;;,;!
__
iron entry stairand rails
The face of this house is divided into 3 major divisions by its
windows. These major divisions are called "bays".
Roof
Types
Gable Hip Mansard
Pitched Cross Flat,
(with dormers) Gable with parapet
dormer porch
The Facade
-
-
I
I
I
I
/)
/
/
The "facade" is the front plane, or "face" of the
house, and is its most public and important feature.
Projecting architectural features, such as porches, dormers. towers, or bay or oriel windows. are a part of the building's facade.
Know
Your
House
LeDroit Park boasts a great variety of hand
-some buildings of different architectural styles.
To know your house you should first deter -mine its style. But even houses of the same style can be designed \Vith different features,
so look closely to identify the specific design and detail features which give your building
its unique appearance. These are the elements you will want to respect and retain as you
undertake renovation or maintenance repairs. In this guidebook. buildings are described using architectural terms. The drawing on this page will help you with some of the more general terms (cornice or transom, etc.), but if you find an unfamiliar word. turn to the glos
-sary at the end of the book for definitions of architectural terms.
Identify Key
Design Features
Of Your House
deep cornice gives house a "top"
raised brick string-courses and window sills emphasize hori-zontal quality of house
raised entry gives
house a "base"
Identify Key
Design Features
Of Your House
design similarity and relationship to adjacent house is essential
entry porch forms outdoor room
raised entry gives the house a base
2/3 113
proportion of windows
and bays gives rhythm to house
1/1 windows with dark
contrasting color on trim
emp~asizes window ~
openmgs ~
arch and transom houses act together
over door, and detailed along street to form
iron stair emphasizes solid wall with rhythm
importance of entry to of narrow recessed
house entries
DODD
rhythm of mass andopenings; 113 entry bay,
213 projecting bay
1/3 213
variety of different textures and colors form bands along vertical
face of house
heavy wooden cornice small-paned glass adds to the "textured" look of this style house scalloped shingles