Patterson House

Patterson House

SB-Urban
Washington, DC

Patterson House at 15 Dupont Circle was designed for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Patterson by Stanford White.  Construction of the Italian Neoclassical house began in 1901 and was completed in 1903. The mansion was designed and used for entertaining on a grand scale. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife lived there in 1927 while the White House was being renovated, and Charles Lindbergh was a visitor in June of that year. The mansion remained in the Patterson family until 1948, when long-time resident Eleanor (Cissy) Patterson died and left the property to the American Red Cross.  The Red Cross sold the mansion to the Washington Club three years later.  The Club built the two-story Annex in 1956.  Patterson House was listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 1964 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Patterson House was renovated for use as a multi-family residence. The rehabilitation included cleaning, repointing, and repair of the exterior masonry and terra cotta; repair and repainting of the windows; and rehabilitation of the slate roof. The main stair and major rooms on the piano nobile have remained intact.  The bedrooms and servants’ quarters on the upper floors have been slightly altered to accommodate new living units.  

The non-contributing Annex has been demolished and replaced with an addition of striking contemporary design. The addition differs from the historic building in design and materials but reflects the same architectural rigor.  It is separated from the existing building by 14 feet, allowing the roof and chimneys of the house to remain visible, and linked to the house by a two-story connection set well back from the P Street sidewalk that also contains a new accessible entrance. The project has enhanced the landmark Patterson House and given it a vital new use that will ensure its long-term viability.