Thomas T. Gaff House
Encyclopedia
The Thomas T. Gaff House is the diplomatic residence
of the Colombian
ambassador
to the United States
, a post currently held by Gabriel Silva Lujan
. The house, a contributing property
to the Dupont Circle Historic District, is located at 1520 20th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
, across from the north entrance to the metro
station in Dupont Circle and one block from Massachusetts Avenue's
Embassy Row
.
Its architecture was inspired by the Château Balleroy in Normandy
, France
and features a hidden ballroom and a mix of 18th- and 19th-century interior designs.
The house has been home to a wealthy industrialist from Ohio
, a United States Senator, a member of the United States President's
Cabinet
, a Greek
ambassador, and a former President of Colombia
.
, Ohio
. His childhood home, Hillforest
, in Aurora
, Indiana
is a National Historic Landmark
. After Gaff was appointed as a commissoner to the Panama Canal's
construction by then-United States Secretary of War
William Howard Taft
, he and his wife Zaidee moved to Washington, D.C. The Gaffs chose New York City
architect Bruce Price
, working with the local architect and builder Jules Henri de Sibour
to design their home at the corner of 20th and Q Streets NW. Jules Henri de Sibour was a prominent architect of large homes in Washington, D.C., including the Clarence Moore House, Andrew Mellon Building
, and the ambassador residences of Portugal
, France
, and Luxembourg
. Construction of the house lasted from 1904 to 1905.
The Gaff House was well known in Washington, D.C.'s high society; tea parties and other events were mentioned in The New York Times
. From 1924 to 1925, the house was leased to Peter Goelet Gerry, a Senator from Rhode Island
. After Gerry moved to a new home, the Gaff house was leased to Dwight F. Davis
, President Calvin Coolidge's
Secretary of War and founder of the Davis Cup
. The government of Greece
leased the house in 1929 for use as an embassy. In 1944, the Gaff house was sold to Colombia
by Carey D. Langhorne, Thomas T. Gaff's daughter. The house has since been used as the official residence (the embassy) of the Colombian ambassador to the United States. The offices (the chancery
) of the Embassy of Colombia to the United States
are located a few blocks north of the Gaff House, in the Kalorama
neighborhood. Notable ambassadors who have resided in the Gaff house include former President of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana. The 2009 property value of the Gaff House is $8,061,440.
The exterior architecture of the Thomas T. Gaff House is an example of a 17th-century Châteauesque
manor, but only two rooms in the house follow French style. Gaff instructed the designers to include novel conveniences such as a hot-air system to dry clothes, a trapdoor to his icehouse
so that deliveries could be made directly from the street, and cork insulation for his wine cellar. The interior features a mixture of 17th- and 18th-century designs. The main hall and dining room are lined with wooden paneling, Elizabethan
wainscoting, and a sideboard that was originally used in an Italian
monastery
. The reception hall, which at one time doubled as a living room, contains a wooden stair rail with baroque
scrollwork and walls that are covered with Louis XIII
-style oak panelling. The drawing room resembles 18th-century interior design with lighter wood used for panelling and basic geometric lines.
In the sitting room, a hidden, movable wooden wall reveals the two-story Edwardian
ballroom, which features a multivaulted wooden ceiling and ornamental plasterwork. The wood that covers the ceiling was discovered during a repair operation. A dome with a stained-glass cupola
is located above the center of the ballroom. This room is used for charity balls, formal dinners, and as a gallery and concert hall.
There were originally 220 drawings of the house's design by de Sibour, but only 20 survive.
Ambassadorial residence
An ambassadorial residence is where an ambassador lives, often an official residence. In many cases it is in the same building as the chancery, which houses the embassy . Like embassies, such residences are considered inviolable and, in most cases, extraterritorial.The residences of high...
of the Colombian
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a post currently held by Gabriel Silva Lujan
Gabriel Silva Luján
Gabriel Silva Luján is the current Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. Silva, who was Colombia's Minister of National Defence from 2009 to 2010 and General Manager of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, had already served as Ambassador in Washington, D.C...
. The house, a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Dupont Circle Historic District, is located at 1520 20th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, across from the north entrance to the metro
Dupont Circle (Washington Metro)
Dupont Circle is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Red Line that opened for service on January 17, 1977.The station, which serves the neighborhood of Dupont Circle, has two entrances: the north entrance, on Q Street Northwest between Connecticut Avenue and 20th Street Northwest...
station in Dupont Circle and one block from Massachusetts Avenue's
Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
Embassy Row
Embassy Row
Embassy Row is the informal name for a street or area of a city in which embassies or other diplomatic installations are concentrated. Washington, D.C.'s Embassy Row lies along Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., and its cross streets between Thomas Circle and Ward Circle, although the vast majority of...
.
Its architecture was inspired by the Château Balleroy in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and features a hidden ballroom and a mix of 18th- and 19th-century interior designs.
The house has been home to a wealthy industrialist from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, a United States Senator, a member of the United States President's
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
, a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
ambassador, and a former President of Colombia
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
.
History
Thomas T. Gaff was a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in the distillery and heavy machinery business in CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. His childhood home, Hillforest
Hillforest
The Hillforest Mansion, also known as Thomas Gaff House, is located at 213 Fifth Street, in Aurora, Indiana. It is built on a bluff above the Ohio River....
, in Aurora
Aurora, Indiana
Aurora is a city in Lawrenceburg and Center townships of Dearborn County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,965 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aurora is located at ....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. After Gaff was appointed as a commissoner to the Panama Canal's
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
construction by then-United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, he and his wife Zaidee moved to Washington, D.C. The Gaffs chose New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
architect Bruce Price
Bruce Price
Bruce Price was the American architect of many of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Château-type stations and hotels...
, working with the local architect and builder Jules Henri de Sibour
Jules Henri de Sibour
Jules Gabriel Henri de Sibour was a French architect.Born in Paris, France to Vicomte Gabriel de Sibour and Mary Louisa Johnson of Belfast, Maine, he came to the United States as a child and attended St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. He received a degree from Yale University in 1896, where he...
to design their home at the corner of 20th and Q Streets NW. Jules Henri de Sibour was a prominent architect of large homes in Washington, D.C., including the Clarence Moore House, Andrew Mellon Building
Andrew Mellon Building
McCormick Apartments, also known as Andrew Mellon Building, Mellon Apartment, or 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, was a residence of Andrew W. Mellon in Washington, D.C. and today is home to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.-History:...
, and the ambassador residences of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. Construction of the house lasted from 1904 to 1905.
The Gaff House was well known in Washington, D.C.'s high society; tea parties and other events were mentioned in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. From 1924 to 1925, the house was leased to Peter Goelet Gerry, a Senator from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. After Gerry moved to a new home, the Gaff house was leased to Dwight F. Davis
Dwight F. Davis
Dwight Filley Davis was an American tennis player and politician. He is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition.-Biography:...
, President Calvin Coolidge's
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
Secretary of War and founder of the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
. The government of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
leased the house in 1929 for use as an embassy. In 1944, the Gaff house was sold to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
by Carey D. Langhorne, Thomas T. Gaff's daughter. The house has since been used as the official residence (the embassy) of the Colombian ambassador to the United States. The offices (the chancery
Chancery (diplomacy)
A 'Chancery' is the type of building that houses a diplomatic mission or embassy. The building can house one or several different nations' missions....
) of the Embassy of Colombia to the United States
Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
The Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C. is the Republic of Colombia's diplomatic mission to the United States. The building is located at 2118 Leroy Place, N. W., in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C....
are located a few blocks north of the Gaff House, in the Kalorama
Kalorama
Kalorama may refer to:*Kalorama, Washington, D.C., a neighborhood near Dupont Circle*Kalorama, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne in Australia*Kalorama Estate, in Washington, D.C....
neighborhood. Notable ambassadors who have resided in the Gaff house include former President of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana. The 2009 property value of the Gaff House is $8,061,440.
Architecture
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
manor, but only two rooms in the house follow French style. Gaff instructed the designers to include novel conveniences such as a hot-air system to dry clothes, a trapdoor to his icehouse
Icehouse (building)
Ice houses were buildings used to store ice throughout the year, prior to the invention of the refrigerator. Some were underground chambers, usually man-made, close to natural sources of winter ice such as freshwater lakes, but many were buildings with various types of insulation.During the...
so that deliveries could be made directly from the street, and cork insulation for his wine cellar. The interior features a mixture of 17th- and 18th-century designs. The main hall and dining room are lined with wooden paneling, Elizabethan
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
wainscoting, and a sideboard that was originally used in an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. The reception hall, which at one time doubled as a living room, contains a wooden stair rail with baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
scrollwork and walls that are covered with Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
-style oak panelling. The drawing room resembles 18th-century interior design with lighter wood used for panelling and basic geometric lines.
In the sitting room, a hidden, movable wooden wall reveals the two-story Edwardian
Edwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....
ballroom, which features a multivaulted wooden ceiling and ornamental plasterwork. The wood that covers the ceiling was discovered during a repair operation. A dome with a stained-glass cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
is located above the center of the ballroom. This room is used for charity balls, formal dinners, and as a gallery and concert hall.
There were originally 220 drawings of the house's design by de Sibour, but only 20 survive.
External links
- Embassy of Colombia official website