Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Chancery
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Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
Cuba commissioned this limestone legation on 16th Street. The same building later housed its Interests Section and became an embassy again in 2015.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 1918 | verified; The Meridian Hill Historic District National Register inventory table assigns 1918 to the Cuban Legation at 2630 16th Street. The narrative also mentions 1916, but its November 1916 citations describe plans and bids rather than completed construction. Construction was completed in 1918. |
| Acquired by Cuba | 1917 (site) | documented DC Preservation League / DC Historic Preservation Office, 2025 historic context, p.22: funds approved in 1915 and site purchased two years later. Its completion chronology differs from the Meridian Hill nomination; retain the construction-date uncertainty separately. |
| Neighborhood | Meridian Hill | verified DC tax assessment neighborhood is Mount Pleasant; Meridian Hill is the historic-district/site label. |
| Architect | MacNeil & MacNeil | verified |
| Rooms | 25–45 est. | estimated; Editorial estimate from the documented 22,849 sq ft floor area. Assume that 55–65% is enclosed, occupied room area, with an average of 350–500 sq ft per room; round the resulting limits outward to the nearest five rooms. Circulation, parking, stairs and open workstations are not counted as rooms. The allocation and room sizes are assumptions, not measurements from a floor plan. Commercial CAMA inventory does not supply a room count. |
| Floor area | 22,800 sq ft | verified; DC gross building area |
| Site area | 26,800 sq ft | verified; Parcel total: 2575/0843. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. |
| 2026 Value | $13.1M | verified; Parcel total: 2575/0843. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. |
| Diplomatic use | 1918 | verified; The 1918 State Department Register, p. 217, lists both the Cuban minister’s residence and Office of the Legation at 2630 Sixteenth Street. This contemporaneous government directory verifies diplomatic use in 1918 independently of later construction-date summaries. |
Scope and Evidence
District nomination narrative says 1916; inventory and CAMA use 1918. AFP reports a 1917 opening. Retain the date range.
DC tax assessment neighborhood is Mount Pleasant; Meridian Hill is the historic-district/site label.
Commercial CAMA inventory does not supply a room count.
DC tax assessment. ASSESSMENT is the current total; CY1YEAR and CY2YEAR are both 2026. NEWTOTAL is a proposed value and is not used.
DC Preservation League / DC Historic Preservation Office, 2025 historic context, p.22: funds approved in 1915 and site purchased two years later. Its completion chronology differs from the Meridian Hill nomination; retain the construction-date uncertainty separately.
- archive.org
- dcpreservation.org
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- planning.dc.gov
- www.latercera.com
- www.popville.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of the Republic of Cuba?
2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC. Approximate location from official DC parcel polygon.
When Was Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Built?
Constructed: 1918. Record status: verified. The Meridian Hill Historic District National Register inventory table assigns 1918 to the Cuban Legation at 2630 16th Street. The narrative also mentions 1916, but its November 1916 citations describe plans and bids rather than completed construction. Construction was completed in 1918. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
Who Designed Embassy of the Republic of Cuba?
Architect: MacNeil & MacNeil. Record status: verified. Verified in the record on 2026-10-20.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the Republic of Cuba?
Floor area: 22,800 sq ft. Record status: verified. DC gross building area Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the Republic of Cuba?
Site area: 26,800 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2575/0843. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the Republic of Cuba?
2026 Value: $13.1M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2575/0843. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
Related Reading
Cite This Article
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Chancery. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version 8e7e5a0a3e7cf1ccccfb.