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Ka lor ama T r i a ng l e

H I S T O R I C D I S T R I C T

WA S H I N G T O N D . C .

Kalorama Triangle 1/9/06 5:25 PM Page 20

The city has extended so far to the north andwest that the heights of the Holmead estate arenow becoming the most attractive portion ofthe city for residences. The summer tempera -ture is at least five degrees lower than in thecity, and refreshing breezes sweep over fromthe valley of Rock Creek. There is no city inthe land that has been so lavishly supplied bynature with locations for rural homes. Withina few months some of our leading citizenshave taken steps to utilize and beautify theseelevations overlooking the city. The lands onthe Washington Heights, a part of the oldHolmead estate, have been platted, streets havebeen opened, trees set, and building lots putinto market... These lots lying close and over -looking the city...are the choicest investmentoffered to the public.

National Republican, 1882

alorama Triangle is a residential enclave inNorthwest Washington bounded by three majorthoroughfares: Connecticut Avenue, CalvertStreet and Columbia Road. Bordering on RockCreek, this area historically was part of the 19thcentury estate “Kalorama” and enjoyed a reputation for its natural attributes—its hillyterrain, cool breezes and fine views over thecity of Washington. Developed largely between1897–1931, the neighborhood is filled witharchitecturally significant free-standing andattached houses, commercial buildings, and avariety of modest and grand apartment build-ings sited along curvilinear tree-lined streets.

KThe Kalorama Triangle Historic District includes 353

historic buildings. Almost exclusively residential in

character, its curvilinear streets are filled with fine

examples of late 19th and early 20th century urban

dwellings and apartment buildings.

Kalorama Triangle 1/9/06 5:25 PM

Located just beyond Boundary Street (FloridaAvenue), and hence outside the incorporatedcity limits, Kalorama Triangle was first subdi-vided for urban development in the early 1880s.Although Kalorama may have appeared ripe fordevelopment, the anticipated construction didnot immediately materialize. The financial panicof 1893 and the uncertainty created by the localHighway Act of 1893 were major factors in thedelay.

Under the ownership of poet

and diplomat Joel Barlow,

Kalorama became a social

and political

center in the early 19th

century. Thomas Jefferson

and inventor Thomas

Fulton were frequent guests

to the estate.

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K A L O R A M A T R I A N G L E

The Kalorama area remained rural until the lastyears of the 19th century. The origins of theKalorama estate date back to a 600-acre landgrant from Charles II of England to a formerindentured servant, John Langworth. The property was part of Anthony Holmead’s“Widows Mite” holdings in the 18th century,and was later owned by Gustavus Scott, a commissioner for the District of Columbia. In1795, Scott constructed a large classically styledhouse at 23rd and S Streets called “Belair.” PoetJoel Barlow bought the estate in 1807, andrenamed it “Kalorama” after the Greek word for“fine view.” The property changed handsthroughout the 19th century, but continued to beknown as Kalorama.

“Joel Barlow”

by Robert Fulton

Barlow’s Kalorama estate, as seen in a romantic

landscape by Charles Godman. Located on a hill on

the Washington side of the Potomac, the estate had

“…a most beautiful situation; it wants only the

improvements we contemplate, to make it a little

paradise…this place presents one of the finest views

in America.” Barlow, 1807.

K A L O R A M A T R I A N G L E H I S T O R I C D I S T R I C T


The earliest years of Kalorama Triangle’s devel-opment followed the specific expansion of thestreetcar lines. Lines were laid along 18th Streetand Calvert Road in 1892, and north onColumbia Road, connecting for the first time at18th Street in 1897. By 1903, the area wascompletely subdivided and many buildings hadbeen constructed. The newly improvedConnecticut Avenue physically bisected a ruralarea previously viewed as a single expanse.Two neighborhoods, Kalorama Triangle andSheridan-Kalorama, each distinctive in theirsocial and physical composition, soon evolved.Sheridan-Kalorama, with its larger lots and predominance of individually commissionedfree-standing houses, developed as the moreaffluent area, serving as home to some ofWashington’s wealthiest and most prestigiousresidents. Kalorama Triangle’s growth wasmore urban in character and dependent on thestreetcar. Its building stock, predominantlymade up of speculatively built rowhouses andapartment buildings, was developed for a pros-perous middle class market.

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2009 Columbia Road stands on what was once

known as “Flagg’s Wyoming Terrace” a 2-acre

subdivision of the large Kalorama estate located

between Columbia Road and Wyoming Avenue.

Built in 1899, the house is currently used as a

residence and art gallery.

In 1893, in response to the rampant and uncoor-dinated development of land outside ofBoundary Street, the U.S. Congress ordered thepreparation of a street plan that would extendL’Enfant’s design of the city of Washington intothe rest of the District. Confusion surroundedthis Highway Act because it was unclearwhether suburbs already laid out would have tocomply by redesigning existing roads. Landtransfers and construction came to a halt for fearof the condemnation of expensive property forfuture street rights-of-way. With passage of anamended act in 1898 exempting existing subdi-visions, publication of a map with the city’snew plan, and an improved economic situation,development of the Kalorama area was finallypoised to take off. The construction of theCalvert Street Bridge (1891, replaced 1931),Taft Bridge (1907), and streetcar lines runningalong Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Roadresulted in a period of rapid and sustaineddevelopment for the Kalorama Triangle neigh-borhood.

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Department store owner Alvin Lothrop’s mansion

at 2001 Connecticut Avenue cost $100,000 to

construct in 1908. Dominating the prominent

intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Columbia

Road, the house helped set an affluent tone for the

emerging Kalorama neighborhood.


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K A L O R A M A T R I A N G L E ’ S

B U I L D I N G S

The earliest houses in Kalorama Triangle werelarge detached residences which were distinctlysuburban in character. Developer GeorgeTruesdall constructed a large turreted villa inthe 1880s at Columbia Road and WyomingAvenue named “Managanssett” [picturedabove]. Although most have been demolished,suburban estates dotted the hills of Kalorama atthe turn of the century.

The opening of the Columbia Road streetcarline in 1897 and the enormous demand forhousing in Washington soon redefinedKalorama Triangle’s suburban character asurban architectural forms began to transformthe area. Early speculative development includ-ed the duplex houses in the 2000 block ofKalorama Road, constructed in 1897, and theindividually designed houses in the 2000 blocksof Columbia Road and Wyoming Avenue, constructed in 1898. The Lothrop mansion, atthe intersection of Connecticut and Columbia,remains one of the monumental Beaux Arts residences in the neighborhood. Despite theearly construction of suburban houses and indi-vidual townhouses, the most common buildingform in Kalorama Triangle became the row-house. The neighborhood was soon character-ized by the rows of substantially sized, attachedspeculative dwellings. The areas first wave ofrowhouse construction, between 1900–1906,most typically exhibits attributes of the then

popular Romansquestyle, with rusticatedstone detailing, round-headed window anddoor openings, foliatecarving, and a darkpalette of red orbrown brick. By 1900,rowhouses had beenbuilt on 19th Street,

Calvert Street, Columbia Road, Kalorama Road,Biltmore Street, and Mintwood Place. After aperiod of vigorous construction, building inKalorama Triangle dropped off dramaticallybetween 1906 and 1910. When buildingresumed, the Romanesque style was no longerfashionable, and more classically inspired row-houses were constructed. The handsome row ofGeorgian Revival rowhouses located alongBelmont Road and 19th Street was constructedin 1910. The row’s columned porticos, dormerwindows, Flemish bond brickwork, multiplelight windows, shutters, and stone trim are char-acteristic of the Georgian Revival style. Therowhouses along Allen Place, constructed in1913–14, show the influence of the Mission andArts and Crafts movements with their red tileroofs, patterned brick work, and overhangingeaves with exposed rafters.

Architect Thomas Fuller constructed this house at

2317 Ashmead Place in 1893. The landmark house

is an early and important representation of the

influence of the English Arts and Crafts movement

on American residential architecture.


A PA R T M E N T B U I L D I N G S

The land along the trolley lines, particularly on Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Road,was soon deemed too valuable for rowhouseconstruction. Between 1901 and 1927, 25 apart-ment buildings were constructed in KaloramaTriangle, with significant concentrations alongthe two major streetcar lines.

The Mendota, at 2220 20th Street, was the firstapartment building constructed in the neighbor-hood. Designed by architect James G. Hill, thebuilding’s classically detailed exterior and spacious three-bedroom units provided a fash-ionable and practical alternative to the problemsof acquiring and maintaining a single-familyrowhouse. Some apartment buildings, such as2029 Connecticut and 2101 Connecticut, wereamong the city’s most luxurious, with large, elegantly detailed rooms, high ceilings, and servants’ quarters. Others, like the Biltmore andBeacon, were more modest in size and interioramenities, meeting the housing needs of moremiddle class tenants.

98

Although the neighborhood’s rowhouses appeardistinctly urban to modern eyes, many develop-ers of the neighborhood were attempting to convey a suburban image for Kalorama Trianglethrough the use of front porches and generouslyproportioned front yards.

Romanesque Rowhouses, 1800 Block of Mintwood Place

Arts and Crafts Rowhouses, 2028–2032 Allen Place

Georgian Revival Rowhouses, 2300 Block of 19th Street


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Although streetcars offered easy access to thedowntown shopping district, neighborhoodstores soon emerged in response to the rapidlydeveloping residential area. The small, one-story, limestone-clad commercial buildingsalong the west side of Columbia Road wereconstructed in the 1920s and 1930s, and exhibitthe streamlined classical style popular in theperiod. Open storefronts with large expanses of glass allowed pedestrians and streetcar ridersto see into the stores in order to assess theirofferings.

By 1931, Kalorama Triangle was fully devel-oped with a myriad of rowhouses, town houses,apartment buildings, and commercial buildingsof large and small scale. Having been built in arelatively short period, this assemblage of build-ings is cohesive in scale, size, material and use.As a result, the neighborhood illustrates the suc-cessful transference of high-style architecture tospeculatively built buildings for a middle-classaudience.

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A major attraction of many apartment buildings in

Kalorama Triangle is the spectacular city views. The

view from the Altamont Apartments was adver-

tised in a promotional brochure in the 1920s.

The Altamont,

constructed in 1915,

featured commodious

and well-appointed

apartments. The 7th

floor had a palm room,

a café opening onto

the roof garden, and

additional kitchens for

entertaining.

The Woodward is a

7-story apartment

marking the north-

western edge of

Kalorama Triangle.

Designed in 1909 for

S.W. Woodward, the

building is sited in the

curve of Connecticut

Avenue, and enjoys

magnificent views.

The building’s applied ornamentation is borrowed

from the Spanish Mission style, and the

Churrigueresque entrance encrusts the central bay

with Roman, Baroque and Moorish elements.

The Altamont circa 1920

Columbia Road

Woodward Apartments

Woodward Interior


K A L O R A M A T R I A N G L E ’ S

R E S I D E N T S

Kalorama Triangle was the product of new ideasand ideals in middle-class living—residents whorelied on the convenience and affordability ofthe streetcar to commute to downtown jobs, yetwho were prosperous enough to enjoy the well-designed, spacious speculative housing that wasbuilt in this residential enclave.

Early residents of the area reflected the afflu-ence of the emerging suburban community.These included engineer and developer GeorgeTruesdell, architect Thomas Fuller, andWoodward & Lothrop department store co-founders Samuel W. Woodward (who con-structed a house in 1886 on the present site of2 1 0 1 Connecticut Avenue) and Alvin M.Lothrop. Dr. Anita Newcomb McKee, a formerActing Assistant Surgeon General who hadorganized the Army Nursing Corps, built 1901Biltmore Street in 1901.

Jeanette Rankin,

the first woman

elected to Congress,

was a resident of the

Mendota Apartments

in the 1910s and 20s.

By the turn of the century a prosperous middleclass began to emerge in Kalorama Triangleattracted by the fine housing stock convenientlyaccessible by public transportation. Residentsincluded numerous government clerks for theFederal and District governments, salesmen,lawyers, real estate agents, artists, physicians,butlers, waiters, and teachers. The 1910 Censusreveals the neighborhood attracted residentswith a range of income levels and housingneeds. While Samuel Woodward lived in a mansion on Connecticut Avenue with his familyand six servants, two blocks away at 2308 20th

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Street, a widow ran a boarding house whoselodgers included a tutor, a public school teacher,and a clerk at the Bureau of Printing andEngraving. On the 1800 block of MintwoodPlace, the residents included a deliveryman, a business manager, a patent office examiner,a lawyer, a painter, an insurance agent, and anartist.

Apartment buildings were also inhabited bysolidly middle-class tenants. In 1910, theBiltmore Apartments registered clerks, govern-ment lawyers, army lieutenants, a caterer, abuilding engineer, and a salesman among itsresidents. The Mendota, a slightly more presti-gious building, included among its residents twoLibrary of Congress librarians, four lawyers,two druggists, two teachers, ten clerks, two cler-gyman, a geologist, a curator, an accountant, anarmy officer, and the president of a storagecompany. Increasingly, and particularly throughthe war years, large percentages of single orwidowed woman found homes in apartmentbuildings.

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Airyview Apartments, 2415 20th Street, NW


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By 1914, over half of the residents of theMendota were women; the same was true forthe more modest Beacon apartment building at18th and Calvert Streets. Despite the changinggender demographics at the Mendota, itremained an exclusive building. In 1918, 48 residents of the 49-unit building were listed inWashington’s social register.

Kalorama Triangle continues to enjoy a fine siteand convenient location, defined by three majorthoroughfares that surround the neighborhood.Screened from the surrounding hectic commer-cial areas, it is characterized by a quiet, residen-tial appearance and ambience.

The Kalorama Triangle Historic District waslisted in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites in1986, and on the National Register of HistoricPlaces in 1987. The historic district includes353 historic buildings. The neighborhood continues to enjoy a diverse residential charac-ter. Few intrusions mar its curvilinear streets,and the majority of late 19th and early 20th century urban dwellings have been handsomelypreserved or restored. The avenues of largeapartment blocks and smaller rows of attachedhouses sited along tree-lined streets continue towork together to create a dynamic, architec-turally varied, urban neighborhood.

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In decorating the dining room and planning the

window for palms and ferns, the idea was that of

cheerfulness; in the hall, being the center of the

house, that of substantial durability; in the parlor and

library restful hospitable comfort. I believe, combined

with the advantages of its location it would be

difficult, if not impossible to duplicate at the price.

Dr. Anita Newcomb Mckee, 1901 Biltmore Street

Architectural variety,

hilly terrain and curving

streets, often ending in

other streets or breaking

off and resuming

somewhere else give the

Triangle its distinctive and

self-contained character…

Washington Star

March 17, 1963

¶


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This brochure was developed by the D.C. PreservationLeague, EHT Traceries Inc. and D.C. Office ofHistoric Preservation as part of a series to provideinformation for residents and visitors on the social,cultural and architectural history of Washington’s his-toric districts. This project was funded by a grant fromthe U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service,through the D.C. Department of Consumer andRegulatory Affairs, Historic Preservation Division.

Information in this brochure is based on the NationalRegister nomination for the Kalorama Tr i a n g l eHistoric District. Uncredited photos by Traceries.

PRINTED 2000 D.C. OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

DESIGN BY D|G WASHINGTON

2000 Block of Allen Place

The Kalorama Triangle Citizen’s Association,an all-volunteer organization founded in 1919,addresses all issues of interest to Kaloramaresidents, from the practicalities of maintaining

clean, attractive and safe streets and parks tobroader issues of zoning, land-use planning,economic development, public education, andhistoric preservation. In recent years, the members and officers of the Association haverepresented the neighborhood before the D.C.Council and city boards and commissions, supported educational and youth programs, prepared and sponsored the neighborhood’shistoric district designation application, andsponsored tree planting and park beautificationprograms in the Kalorama neighborhood.

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