Iwalked Washington D.C.’s National Museum Of Natural History

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s National Museum Of Natural History - I’d like to declare the first stop along our National Mall audio tour as being “unique” or some “hidden treasure” but, alas, this site is a locale that 7.4 million other people visit annually—the National Museum of Natural History. The Natural History museum is the most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums and also one of the oldest on the north side of the Mall. This building was the first to be constructed on the northern edge of the Mall on June 20, 1911. The museum originated as the United States National Museum and was originally housed within the Arts and Industries Building. It began via a desire to extend the 100th anniversary of America showcase from the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Upon moving all of the exhibits to Washington, however, it quickly began apparent that sufficient space was severely lacking. In response, Congress appropriated a sum of $3.5 million for construction of a new building for which ground was broken on June 14, 1904.

National Museum Of Natural History

The current home of the National Museum of Natural History was designed by the firm of Hornblower & Marshall in the traditional Neoclassical styling of Washington D.C. The building is faced with pink granite from Massachusetts on the ground floor, Vermont granite on the 1st and 2nd floors, and North Carolina granite on the 3rd story. Corinthian columns grace the entrance and a central rotunda resides atop the structure.
Despite the fact that the museum was not officially completed until 1911, it actually opened on March 17, 1910. The interior contains some 1.5 million square feet of exhibits said to contain on the upwards of 126 million items. Being a Smithsonian building, admission is free and hours typically range from 10 am – 5:30 pm every day less Christmas.

If you wish to take some time to explore the National Museum of Natural History, let us give you an overview of “must see” exhibits. Immediately upon entering you will be welcomed by a large African Elephant that stands some fourteen feet tall and is said to weigh eight tons. A couple of popular destinations for children on the first floor are the IMAX theater and the Discovery Room that provides a number of “hands-on” and interactive learning displays. The Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals contains a mass of mounted animals, some of which are attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt. By far the most noteworthy destination though is the Dinosaur Hall complete with Tyrannosaurus Rex dueling a 65-million-year-old Triceratops nicknamed “Hatcher” (in honor of the paleontologist who discovered his fossils in 1891).

As you make your way up to the second floor you may enjoy the Egyptian exhibits, Easter Island Stone Head, Insect zoo, and Gem/Mineral collection. Outside of the approximate 35,000 meteorites housed within the gem and mineral collection, the most popular specimen is the 45.52 carat Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond is estimated to be more than one billion years old and is the largest blue diamond in the world. Its history has long been tied to a series of tragedies for each of its prior owners. One of the diamond’s first owners, Marie Antoinette (queen to King Louis XVI of France) was executed via guillotine in 1793 in response to the French Revolution.

A prominent Washingtonian heiress, Evalyn Walsh McLean soon lost her two-year old son, her mother-in-law (possibly debatable as to whether a tragedy), and saw her husband lose his fortune all subsequent to her acquiring the Hope Diamond. Today the diamond is owned by a New York jeweler named Harry Winston who first donated it to the Smithsonian for display in 1958.

Before leaving the museum, make sure you take notice of a work of public art near the Constitution Avenue entrance. This work by Ignacio Perez Solano is titled Colossal Head and was added to this location on October 19, 2001.

• Website: http://www.mnh.si.edu/
• Address: Intersection of 10th Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
• Cost: Free

Iwalked New York City’s Friars Club

Iwalked New York City’s Friars Club - This English Renaissance townhouse at 57 East 55th Street was originally constructed in 1909 as the private residence of Martin Erdmann. Mr. Erdmann, an investment banker, built what he called the “most fireproof residence in Manhattan” to house his private art collection. Mr. Erdman maintained his residency here until 1937 before the building took on a number of various tenants. Each of these tenants, as part of their acquisition, inherited a lengthy deed from the original construction which restricted the building’s usage from any noisy or smelly activities such as stables, tanneries, blacksmith shops, or glue factories.

Friars Club

In 1956 the building was acquired by a private club for members of theater, the Friars, who opened their doors in November 1957. The Friars began in 1904 when a series of eleven press agents began to get together at a local restaurant known as Browne’s Chophouse. Back in those days it was not uncommon for people to pretend to maintain press credentials to mingle with celebrities or members of theater (a trait which many may argue still exists today). To differentiate amongst the legitimate versus imposters, an informal social club began to form where true industry folk began to gather and hang out together. This group eventually formalized and dubbed themselves the Friars (from the Latin term “frater” which translates into “brother”).

Since their formation the Friars has played host to a multitude of celebrities and in 1949 they began a tradition of honoring some of their member’s grand achievements by holding a dinner, or a “roast.” The first honoree of these roasts was Maurice Chevalier. Since then those who have been “roasted” include: Sammy Davis, Jr., George Burns, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, Barbra Streisand, George Steinbrenner, Hugh Hefner, Bruce Willis,Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Donald Trump, Don King and Quentin Tarantino. Comedy Central used to air these between 1998 and 2002. After this time, the network began their own roasts which are not be confused with those hosted by the Friars Club.

When the Friars Club first opened it was created as a males-only member club. It wasn’t until 1988 that females were allowed. Liza Minnelli was the first female member of the organization and today women represent nearly one-fourth of the membership. In 1983, prior to the allowance of women, Phyllis Diller actually donned the costume of a man and successfully snuck in during the roast of Sid Caesar. When asked about the incident, Ms. Diller commented, “It was the funniest and dirtiest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Although the club has long maintained a level of exclusivity of theater professionals, in recent years membership may be as associated with the almighty dollar as it may be with professional entertainers. Current bylaws now allow for up to thirty percent of club members to not be associated with the theater. New members are required though to pay approximately $10,500 to join the club ($7500 for initiation and $3000 for annual dues).

Although price discounts do exist for “younger” members, fees are still sufficiently high enough to maintain a high level of clientele. And for those who are able to swing the fees and are interested in getting in? Well, the Club does still require all potential members to undergo an interview process and you must be personally recommended by two existing members.

Iwalked Washington D C's Alexander Pushkin Statue

Iwalked Washington D C's Alexander Pushkin Statue - The statue of the originator of present day Russian written work is arranged in the gathered Pushkin Park, ROVA Farms, Cassville section of Jackson Township. It is a waist length picture of Alexander Pushkin, wearing long sideburns and wearing standard nineteenth century respectful colleagues' dress. The material he holds contains an etching in Russian. The statue is painted dim and is presented on top of a diminished stone base.

Alexander Pushkin Statue

Regardless, how did the historic point arrive? It was raised on the 150th remembrance of the Russian craftsman, in 1949, by inhabitants of ROVA farms, an incredible place which was seen as a late spring resort all through a vast segment of the twentieth century.

The record of this place began in 1934 when The Russian Consolidated Mutual Aid Society of America, known by the acronym of its Russian name, ROOVA or ROVA, obtained 1,600 segments of place that is known for land in Cassville, NJ in Jackson Township, a central region between the Russian-American society in Philadelphia and New York. The overall population set up a nation social concentration called ROVA Farm (calmly alluded to in the plural as ROVA Farms) which transformed into a place of significant and social centrality to the Russian-American society.

It was a place where Russian laborers gathered for summer journeys, acquired houses, and where their children went to camp. The people who went there normally refreshed in one-room holds up and spent most of their days out in the open living approaches. Summers were spent on the lake, where people took an interest in swimming, cruising, and calculating. Gradually, an extensive parcel of the Russian vacationers settled and ROVA farms framed into a gigantic Russian society. In 1940, St. Vladimir Memorial church was worked there on the 950th recognition of the gathering of Christianity in Russia, as a tribute to St. Sovereign Vladimir. Nowadays it is the fundamental bit of the settlement which has any activity.

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial - “The names would become the memorial.” That is how twenty-one year old Maya Lin from Athens, Ohio described her entry to design one of the most controversial monuments for one of the most controversial wars in U.S. history. Plans for a memorial were initiated in 1979 via a former veteran from the war, Jan Scruggs. Just one year later, Congress formally approved a national monument and set aside two acres on the western portion of Constitution Gardens for its creation. More than 275,000 Americans donated $8.4 million to the cause of building the monument, of which no federal dollars were required. The monument was formally dedicated on November 11, 1993.

An anonymous submission process was used to select the winning design of the memorial. One thousand four hundred and twenty-one entries were received before entry #1026 was selected unanimously as the winner on May 1, 1981. The design came from an architecture student at Yale University who had created the design as part of her funerary architecture class during her senior year. Despite only receiving a “B” grade for her design at Yale, Lin’s design is now viewed by over three million Americans annually.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Lin currently owns a studio in New York City and continues to design popular works of art throughout other major cities. Perhaps her next best recognized work is the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama (1989). An Oscar-winning documentary about Lin’s life and the hardships and joys presented to her via the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was released in 1995, “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.”

Lin’s design raised some controversy at the time of its unveiling. Some described it as an open scar, while others embraced its simplicity. The memorial consists of two triangular black granite walls (quarried from Bangalore, India) that measure 246 feet and 8 inches long, and continues to grow as they converge to a height of ten feet and eleven and a half inches. The walls are set at one hundred twenty-five degree angles from each other with one wall pointed towards the Washington Monument and the other towards the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on each wall are the names of every American who was either killed, deemed missing in action or a taken prisoner of war.

There are currently 58,272 names etched on the wall in .53 inch font. When the wall was first constructed it contained 57,939 names. The earliest of these names dates back to 1959 with the latest added in May 2010. These individuals passed away as a result of injuries obtained during the war. There have been known instances of names that have made it onto the memorial where the person did not actually die. Up to thirty-eight potential instances have been identified where clerical errors may have contributed to this misclassification.


If you look closely at each name you will notice a symbol resides next to each one. A diamond signifies that the person died as a result of the war. A cross means that the person was either a prisoner of war or his/her status is still not officially accounted for. And in some occasions a circle has been placed around a cross demonstrating the missing person was later found alive.

Visitors are allowed to take away a rubbing of any names of family or friends. Park rangers are available to provide both commemorative paper and pencils to assist in your effort. In addition, in the event that you are unable to reach a particular name the rangers will also help you on this front as well. To find particular names, there are either books (located at each end of the memorial) or a computerized database within the information booth that provide guidance on where to look.

While many visitors are content to walk away with a remembrance from the memorial, others have been known to leave tokens of remembrance or tribute. Since 1984, the National Park Service has begun to collect each of the items left outside the memorial on a daily basis. All items are kept and maintained within the Museum Resource Center and many have been displayed within the National Museum of American History. There are said to be more than 150,000 objects left here including the likes of a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a tiger cage.

Two sculptures have been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial since its original unveiling. These include the Three Servicemen sculptured by Frederick E. Hart and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Glenna Goodacre.

• Website: http://thewall-usa.com/


• Address: Intersection of 21st Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC


• Cost: Free

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Fdr Memorial Tidal Basin – Room Two (“SocialPolicy”)

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Fdr Memorial Tidal Basin – Room Two (“Social Policy”) - The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Tidal Basin was the fourth memorial dedicated to a U.S. president located on the National Mall. Ironically Roosevelt, the only American President elected more than two terms, was actually opposed to the idea of being honored via a public monument. Despite his reservations, Roosevelt was quoted once as commenting to his good friend Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurther, “If they are to put up any memorial to me, I should like it to be placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building.” Although the site had to be moved to make room for this massive 7.5 acre monument, Congress did approve erection of a fitting tribute in 1955.

Memorial Tidal Basin

The memorial consists of four “rooms,” each of which represents one of Roosevelt’s presidential terms. In Room Two we move onto a reflection of FDR’s second term (1936-1940) titled “Social Policy.” The centerpieces of the room revolve around three sculptures by artist George Segal (known for his Gay Liberation sculpture in New York’s Christopher Park). The sculptures are set to depict three various emotions of hope, hunger and despair.

The first sculpture, Fireside Chat, shows a man leaning forward on a wooden chair while listening to one of Roosevelt’s famed radio addresses. Another sculpture, The Breadline, features five male figures in their trench coats and hats awaiting a ration of food. Lastly, The Rural Couple, depicts a male and female (assumingly man and wife) with a somber and tired looking expression on their faces. Also within this room is a large five panel bronze mural titled Social Programs. Depicted on the mural are random images of hands and faces interspersed with scenes symbolizing the various fifty-four programs from the period.

Iwalked New York City’s Washington Square Arch

Iwalked New York City’s Washington Square Arch - Washington Square’s most recognized monument, the Washington Square Arch was formally dedicated on the north side of the park in May 1895 (although technically the final blocks for the structure had been laid three years earlier in April 1892). The current arch is actually the third version that has resided within the park. The originally version was constructed in April 1889 in celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the inauguration of our nation’s first president, George Washington (which occurred on nearby Wall Street at Federal Hall).

Washington Square Arch

This tribute, styled much like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, was intended only as a temporary structure and thus constructed in simple to tear down materials such as wood and plaster. The public response to the monument was so favorable, however, that its architect Stanford White decided to create a sturdier version constructed of limestone (which he did for the sum of $27,000). This second incarnation would only be unveiled for two days before White was finally asked to create a final manifestation which would be constructed of marble and still resides here today. The only significant change to the monument since then is the fact that traffic is no longer allowed to drive through the arch, as had been the case until 1971 when the park was redesigned.

Washington Square Arch also contains two magnificent statues of George Washington along the north side that were later additions. The earliest statue was added along the eastern half in 1916 and is titled, “Washington Accompanied by Fame and Valor.” This sixteen foot marble sculpture was created by Herman A. MacNeil who hailed from Queens and also created some noted sculptures along the Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C. Here we see Washington in his full military garb while he clutches a sword with both hands directly in front of himself. On the western half of the northern side of the arch is a work unveiled just two years later by Alexander Stirling Calder titled, “George Washington Accompanied by Wisdom and Justice.” Here, again, is a sixteen foot marble figure depicting Washington as he appeared during his years as our nation’s first president.

One other “hidden” element within the arch’s western leg is a spiral staircase that leads towards the summit. Unfortunately the public is not allowed within the interior as the roof has been deemed quite fragile and is said to even leak. For now you’ll have to trust us that the interior consists of a 102-step spiral stairwell.

• Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Park


• Address: Intersection of Washington Square North and 5th Avenue, New York City, NY


• Cost: Free

Iwalked Washington D.C.’S White House

Iwalked Washington D.C.’S White House - When Pierre Charles L’Enfant was hired to design Washington D.C., part of his commission was to propose on the design of a grand new “Presidential Palace.” Unfortunately, L’Enfant was fired for insubordination prior to “getting around” to sharing his vision. In response, a design contest was held in 1792 for which nine proposals would be submitted. The winner of the contest would receive for their efforts $500 or a medal of equal value. Second prize would offer the sum of $150. The second place entry was awarded to an architect from Richmond, VA, John Collins, who submitted his entry under the pseudonym “A.Z.” The design was said to emulate the Villa Rotunda just outside of Vicenza, Italy. Its entry has long been speculated to have been submitted by Thomas Jefferson, however, no direct evidence to confirm this has ever been found. The first prize was awarded to a self-taught Irish-born architect named James Hoban on July 17, 1792. Hoban’s design called for construction of a home that drew inspiration from the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland.

Washington D.C.’S White House

Construction on the White House would commence on October 13, 1792. Ironically, in very un-Washingtonian fashion, no formal ceremony was held. The building would be constructed over an eight-year period and was ready for occupancy on November 1, 1800. John Adams, the second President of the United States, was the first president to reside here. Washington, who oversaw a vast amount of the building’s construction, unfortunately never had the opportunity to live within the Presidential Palace. Adam’s residency would not last too long either though as he was only able to live within the White House during the final four months of his presidency.

When President Thomas Jefferson moved into the home in 1801 he was full of criticism of the building (perhaps in response to losing the design competition). Upon moving onto the premise Jefferson declared the property too big by stating it was, “big enough for two emperors, one Pope and the grand lama.” And Jefferson’s response to this declaration? Well, he immediately began making revisions to the structure by hiring US Capitol architect Benjamin Latrobe. These alterations included the addition of single-story wings to either side of the main building for added storage to Jefferson’s “already too big” home.


In August 1814, during the War of 1812, the British began to overtake the city of Washington and many occupants began to flee. Amongst those who left the city were President James Madison and his wife Dolley. Prior to her departure Dolley grabbed a copy of Gilbert Stuart’s famous portrait of George Washington (known to many as that which graces every $1 bill) while other aides ensured the safety of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. On August 14, 1814, the British officially set the White House to torch and the building would only be saved by the hard rains falling from the sky that evening. James Hoban would be brought back in March 1815 to begin to reconstruct the charred remains of his original design. During his reconstruction, Hoban added a series of porticos to the building’s north and side and also painted the entire structure white. Some has theorized that Hoban’s decision to paint the building white was to cover-up the smoke and burn stains that resided on the exterior.

Hoban’s revitalized White House was a social curiosity to one famed visitor in the 19th Century and also the site of a historic first a few years later. In 1842, the White House was visited by esteemed author Charles Dickens who later wrote of his unique experience. Expecting a warm reception upon arrival Dickens was taken aback when he arrived with his official White House invite and found no one to greet him. Instead he escorted himself onto the premises and inspected the entire property without an intervention or being questioning during his exploration. A few years later the White House was the happy site of the only marriage ceremony for a U.S. President when Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States (and only president to serve two non-consecutive terms), married Frances Folsom. The wedding which occurred on June 2, 1886 was held within the White House’s Blue Room.

The White House would not see its next significant structural changes until just after the turn of the 20th century when a number of changes were set to occur. During President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration, he oversaw the addition of increased living space within the building’s third story attic. It was also Roosevelt who coined the official nickname of the White House around this time in 1901. Two other significant changes which would be implemented over the ensuing years included the additions of the West Wing and Oval Office. Originally known as the Yellow Room, the Oval Office served a number of purposes before becoming the official offices to the President of the United States. For instance, Thomas Jefferson was known to use it for practicing his violin. Woodrow Wilson, meanwhile, found the room a romantic setting sufficient to propose to his second wife, Edith Bolling. The last significant addition to the White House would occur in 1942 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized construction of the East Wing which would occur in 1942. This final alteration would provide the symmetry of the building you see today.

Public tours of the White House are available, however, be prepared to plan ahead. Requests must be made a minimum of twenty one days in advance through your local Congressman and it is recommended that you provide your request up to six months in advance. Tours, as provided, may be offered Tuesday-Thursday 7:30-11:00am, Fridays 7:30am-12pm and Saturdays 7:30am-1pm. Please note, tours are typically offered only to U.S. citizens unless coordinated through your local embassy and providing a request directly through them.

Fun facts that you may learn as part of your tour include insight as to the building’s architecture, history and occupants. For instance you may learn how the White House requires five hundred seventy gallons of paint. When the exterior was recently restored in 1996, workers found up to twenty-eight coats of this paint (some of which covered the fire damage from 1814)! In relation to occupants, you may also get to witness or cross paths with one of the five full-time chefs on-site that may serve on the upwards of up to one hundred forty guests on any one occasion.
To learn about famous ghosts and haunts of the White House you may

• Website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
• Address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
• Cost: Free

Iwalked New York City’s Café Wha?

Iwalked New York City’s Café Wha? - On a wintery January 24, 1961, a young nineteen year old Robert Zimmerman arrived to New York City having hitchhiked all the way from Minnesota. His first destination? A small club which he had heard about called Café Wha? That day, Zimmerman convinced the club’s owner, Manny Roth, to allow him to play here despite having a limited resume of performances. (Zimmerman had in actuality only played once publicly prior to this.) Roth impressed with Zimmerman’s dedication (having moved from Minnesota after all) provided Zimmerman the opportunity. Young Robert would proceed to play a full set that day consisting exclusively of Woody Guthrie covers.

 Café Wha?

Over the ensuing months, Zimmerman would become a staple of Café Wha? And Robert’s status as a folk legend would begin to build as the man originally known as Robert Zimmerman would be transformed into Bob Dylan (named after his idol, poet Dylan Thomas). Others would later follow in Dylan’s footsteps at Café Wha? as this small club began to be recognized as one of the top havens for musical talent during the 1960s.

The cast of musicians and comedians which has graced the stages of Café Wha? has included the likes of Ritchie Havens, Bill Cosby, Kool and the Gang, Richard Prior and Bruce Springsteen. Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, was a former waitress here before being discovered. And Louis Gossett, Jr. actually sang folk songs here before deciding to pursue acting full-time.

In June of 1966, the house band for Café Wha? was an unknown act that dubbed themselves Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. Amongst the band’s members was an aspiring guitarist named Jimi Hendrix (then going by the name Jimmy James). Hendrix, although not a native New Yorker, had played in the city for a period beginning in 1964. He did not stay long though. After being discovered by the Animals manager Chas Chandler, who had taken a liking to a little song called “Hey Joe,” Chandler swept Hendrix out of New York and off to London where larger fame would await.

As for the club itself, Café Wha? first opened its doors in 1959. Its original owner, Manny Roth, had a knack for discovering talent in those days. His gift may have been aided by having such a talented nephew (David Lee Roth). Manny owned the club until 1988 when he sold the business. Today Café Wha? continues to function as a music venue that primarily features a roster of varying house bands (depending upon the day of the week).

• Website: http://cafewha.com/


• Address: 115 MacDougal Street, New York City, NY


• Cost: May vary by night. See website for details.

Iwalked Boston’s Park Street Church

Iwalked Boston’s Park Street Church - Park Street Church is an active Conservative Congregational Church located along Boston’s Freedom Trail that dates back to 1809 (just five years after Park Street itself was established). Prior to its erection, the largest building in all of Boston resided on this site. A building known as the Granary (built in 1738), was located here for nearly seventy-five years, serving the purpose of storing corn and wheat for sale. It was inside the former Granary building in which the sails for the U.S.S. Constitution were said to be sewn. The Granary was demolished in 1809 to make room for the Park Street Church which was founded by twenty-six parishioners from the nearby Old South Meeting House.

Boston’s Park Street Church

Park Street Church was formally constructed in a very short period of time between 1809 and 1810 and was designed by architect Peter Banner. Banner based his plans on a similar London church by Sir Christopher Wren who is most noted for having designed St. Paul’s Cathedral. Integrated within Banner’s designs include a 217 foot Georgia steeple and some intricately carved wooden capitals on the front columns that were done by Solomon Willard. An addition of a stained glass window caused a bit of controversy when it was installed in 1904 for its anti-Puritan flare. The controversy eventually led the church to install a plain-glass window over the exterior so that this single example of stained glass may only be viewed from the interior.

When masses began here in 1810, the congregation was known as a very serious and passionate bunch. Masses would last approximately two to three hours each week and in the event that attendees were found to be “resting their eyes” they were awaken via a wooden stick.


Over the years Park Street Church earned the nickname of “Brimstone Corner,” both for the fiery speakers who used to preach both inside and outside the church and for the gunpowder which was housed there during the War of 1812. Amongst those who spoke here included William Lloyd Garrison who delivered his first anti-slavery speech here on July 4, 1829. It was during this address that he spoke the famous words, “Since the cause of emancipation must progress heavily, and must meet with must unhallowed opposition—why delay the work?”

A number of other notable firsts are said to have occurred within the Park Street Church. The first Sunday school program was held here in 1816. The church’s first organist, Lowell Mason, composed “Joy to the World” here. Another noted song, “America” (aka “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) was sung for the first time of the church’s steps on July 4, 1831 by the Park Street’s Children Choir. And lastly, some unrelated organizations including the Animal Rescue League (a predecessor of the humane society) and the Prison Discipline Society (the first U.S. prison ministry) were also founded here.

Today the church continues to be an active congregation that is said to have nearly 2,000 mass attendees each week.

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Blair House

Iwalked Washington D.C.’s Blair House - The Blair House is the official guest house for visitors of the White House. When guests, such as foreign dignitaries come to visit, they stay within this 70,000 square foot, 119 room complex that is larger than the White House itself. The flag of the nation from which the dignitaries are visiting is always flown outside of the Blair House to signify that the residence is, at least for the given period of the visit, considered foreign soil. Residency within the Blair House can also be tough to come by. When President Obama and his family moved to Washington and were seeking a place to stay prior to his inauguration, they were rebuffed and informed that the home was currently being occupied by the former Prime Minister of Australia.

Blair House

The Blair House began as a single home at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, but has since expanded to into four adjoining townhouses. The original building was constructed as a two-story structure in 1824 and was designed in the Federal style with a brick façade. The brick was later covered over with stucco and subsequently modernized to its current limestone exterior. Other later alterations to the building included the addition of a third and fourth story in the early 1850s.

The residence at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW was designed by an unknown architect for Joseph Lovell, the eight Surgeon General of the United States Army. Upon Lovell’s passing in 1836, the building was purchased by Francis Preston Blair for the sum of $6,500. Blair was an American journalist and politician who served as an advisor to President Andrew Jackson. Through his role as editor of the Congressional Globe newspaper, Blair was deemed a highly influential advisor to Jackson and considered a part of Jackson’s elite “Kitchen Cabinet.”

In 1859, Blair acquired the adjoining red brick Federal style home at 1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Blair had purchased the home as a gift to his daughter and her husband, Rear Admiral of the Navy, Samuel Phillips Lee. Samuel was related to the former Confederate General Robert E. Lee as the two were distant (third) cousins. In fact, it was at this residence that Robert had formerly turned down the opportunity to command the Union Army as offered by Francis Blair on April 18, 1861. The two other neighboring homes that would be integrated into the Blair-Lee home (700 Jackson Place and 704 Jackson Place) were each constructed in 1860.

The Blair Home was acquired by the U.S. government in 1942 for the purpose of needed guest space. A legend around the reason for this off-site hotel for White House guests has long been told surrounding Winston Churchill’s former overnight stays. Allegedly Mr. Churchill was noted for his love of staying up late and enjoying his brandy and cigars. After one especially long evening Eleanor Roosevelt decided she had had enough of Winston’s “bad influence” on her husband and demanded that a guest house be found as a solution for future guests.

One last tale regarding the Blair House revolves around an assassination plot on President Harry Truman that actually occurred here on November 1, 1950. Two Puerto Rican Nationalists named Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo literally walked up to Blair House and opened fire on security guards around the house. A White House Policeman, Leslie Coffelt, was mortally wounded in the shootout, but he managed to stagger out of his guard booth and take out Torresola before he perished himself. Collazo would be arrested and spend twenty-nine years in a federal prison before being released in September 1979.

• Website: http://www.blairhouse.org/home.html


• Address: 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC


• Cost: Free to view from exterior. No tours are available