Warder Mansion
Encyclopedia
Warder Mansion is a Washington, D.C.
apartment complex at 2633 16th Street Northwest. Located about 1.5 miles north of the White House
, it is the only surviving building in the city by architect H. H. Richardson
.
An early example of preservation commitment, the building was saved from demolition in the 1920s by being disassembled and reassembled elsewhere.
By the 1990s, the Warder-Totten House's prospects for survival looked bleak, but the building was saved a second time.
was president of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company, a major manufacturer of farm machinery. In 1902, his was one of 5 companies merged to form International Harvester
.
In 1885, Warder hired Boston architect H. H. Richardson
to design his house at 1515 K Streets NW
. Richardson died in 1886, but his firm completed the house in 1888. Warder died in 1894, and his widow occupied the house until 1921.
Architect George Oakley Totten, Jr.
bought the exterior stone (except the main doorway, which reportedly went to the Smithsonian
) and much of the interior woodwork.
He transported the building, piece by piece (reportedly in a Model T Ford), to its present Meridian Hill site, reassembled it over two years, and converted it into an apartmenthouse.
The reconstructed building later housed the National Lutheran Council, and the Antioch College of Law.
The site was listed on the D.C. Inventory in 1964, and on the National Register in 1972.
Antioch College left in 1986. The building was vacant for more than a dozen years, and was virtually reduced to a shell by fires and vandalism. It was placed on the DC Preservation League's Most Endangered Places List in 1996, and remained on that list for several years.
Renovated in 2001-02, it now serves as the entrance to Warder Mansion, a complex of 38 one- and two-bedroom apartments carved out of the house and a 9-story addition.
in attendance. Following Ambassador Garrett's inheritance of his family's mansion, "Evergreen," custom-made furnishings from the Warder House were moved to Baltimore.
The Garrett mansion is now Johns Hopkins University's Evergreen Museum & Library
. Its Warder pieces include a set of Thomas Sheraton-inspired chairs from the DC house's diningroom, an ornately inlaid center table from the DC house's drawingroom, and a handsome pair of possibly-architect-designed 'throne' chairs, carved with sunflowers, an ornate "W," and the year 1887 (the Warder House's year of completion).
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....
apartment complex at 2633 16th Street Northwest. Located about 1.5 miles north of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, it is the only surviving building in the city by architect H. H. Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
.
An early example of preservation commitment, the building was saved from demolition in the 1920s by being disassembled and reassembled elsewhere.
By the 1990s, the Warder-Totten House's prospects for survival looked bleak, but the building was saved a second time.
Warder
Benjamin H. WarderBenjamin H. Warder
Benjamin Head Warder was an American manufacturer of agricultural machinery...
was president of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company, a major manufacturer of farm machinery. In 1902, his was one of 5 companies merged to form International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
.
In 1885, Warder hired Boston architect H. H. Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
to design his house at 1515 K Streets NW
K Street (Washington, D.C.)
K Street is a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups.-Location:...
. Richardson died in 1886, but his firm completed the house in 1888. Warder died in 1894, and his widow occupied the house until 1921.
Totten
In 1923, the Warder House was about to be demolished to erect an office building.Architect George Oakley Totten, Jr.
George Oakley Totten, Jr.
George Oakley Totten, Jr. , was one of Washington D.C.’s most prolific and skilled architects in the Gilded Age. His international training and interest in architectural decoration led to a career of continuous experimentation and stylistic eclecticism which is clearly evident in many of his works...
bought the exterior stone (except the main doorway, which reportedly went to the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
) and much of the interior woodwork.
He transported the building, piece by piece (reportedly in a Model T Ford), to its present Meridian Hill site, reassembled it over two years, and converted it into an apartmenthouse.
The reconstructed building later housed the National Lutheran Council, and the Antioch College of Law.
The site was listed on the D.C. Inventory in 1964, and on the National Register in 1972.
Antioch College left in 1986. The building was vacant for more than a dozen years, and was virtually reduced to a shell by fires and vandalism. It was placed on the DC Preservation League's Most Endangered Places List in 1996, and remained on that list for several years.
Renovated in 2001-02, it now serves as the entrance to Warder Mansion, a complex of 38 one- and two-bedroom apartments carved out of the house and a 9-story addition.
Furniture
Warder's daughter Alice (1877-1952) married diplomat John Work Garrett (1872-1942) at the house in December 1908, with then-First Lady Edith RooseveltEdith Roosevelt
Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1901 to 1909.-Early life:...
in attendance. Following Ambassador Garrett's inheritance of his family's mansion, "Evergreen," custom-made furnishings from the Warder House were moved to Baltimore.
The Garrett mansion is now Johns Hopkins University's Evergreen Museum & Library
Evergreen Museum & Library
Evergreen Museum & Library, also known as Evergreen House, is a historical museum of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is located between the campuses of the College of Notre Dame and Loyola College...
. Its Warder pieces include a set of Thomas Sheraton-inspired chairs from the DC house's diningroom, an ornately inlaid center table from the DC house's drawingroom, and a handsome pair of possibly-architect-designed 'throne' chairs, carved with sunflowers, an ornate "W," and the year 1887 (the Warder House's year of completion).