Former British Embassy on Connecticut Avenue
Northwest corner of Connecticut Avenue and N Street NW, Washington, DC
A Permanent Home for the Legation
Britain’s minister, Sir Edward Thornton, sought a permanent Washington home after years of rented premises. In 1873 he bought a site at Connecticut Avenue and N Street. John Fraser designed the new house with a small chancery wing, and Robert I. Fleming built it. The legation later became an embassy. [1]
By the 1920s, tramway noise, crowded offices, and planned street widening made the site difficult to use. A 1925 agreement with developer Harry Wardman provided a new Massachusetts Avenue site in exchange for the old property. The mission moved in 1930 or 1931, and the Connecticut Avenue building was subsequently demolished. [1]
Diplomatic Use
- Legation and embassy, including minister or ambassador residence: United Kingdom [1]
Changes to the Property
Sources
- Washington - before 1951
New House on Connecticut Avenue, 1867-1931; accompanying building caption
Notes
- The move to Massachusetts Avenue is variously dated 1930 and 1931 within the inspected building history.
Related Reading
Cite This Article
Former British Embassy on Connecticut Avenue. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version c96e1fdc56e00930dd12.