CHANCERIESTHE DIPLOMATIC ATLAS

Old Korean Legation

1500 13th Street NW, Washington, DC

Korea opened its legation in February 1889 in a house built for the American naval officer and diplomat Seth L. Phelps. Thomas Plowman had designed the 1877 residence on Logan Circle. The mission occupied it through the transition from the Joseon dynasty to the Korean Empire, conducting diplomacy in Washington until Japan took control of Korea’s foreign relations in November 1905. [1]

Japan forced the transfer of the property in 1910 and resold it. The Republic of Korea reacquired the building on October 18, 2012, more than a century after its diplomatic use ended. Restoration began in December 2015, and the house opened as a history museum in May 2018. [1] [2]

Diplomatic Use

Changes to the Property

  • Construction: 1877 [1]
  • Property acquired: Republic of Korea: 2012-10-18 [2]
  • Museum opened: 2018-05 [1]

15 Logan Cir NW, Washington, DC

FactValueBasis and sources
NeighborhoodOld City 2verified; DC assessment-neighborhood designation for the property.
  1. services.arcgis.com
Site area2,434 sq ftverified; Sum of LANDAREA for the identified, nonoverlapping tax parcels, in square feet.
  1. services.arcgis.com
2026 Value$4,627,010verified; Sum of current ASSESSMENT values for the identified parcels; CY1YEAR 2026 and DELCODE N. Includes land and improvements, not tax due or sale price.
  1. services.arcgis.com
Floor area5,844 sq ftverified; DC CAMA: residential GBA is gross building area; commercial/condominium LIVING_GBA is the recorded living gross building or unit area. 0241 0074 building 1 section 1: 5,844 sq ft (commercial)
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
Constructed1877verified; Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018.
  1. planning.dc.gov
  2. www.korea.net
Rooms8–23estimated; Documented office, consular, cultural or institutional use: approximately 8–23 counted rooms under the stated floor-area assumptions. This is not a surveyed inventory.
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
ArchitectThomas M. Plowmanverified; Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018.
  1. planning.dc.gov
  2. www.korea.net
Diplomatic use1889verified; Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018.
  1. planning.dc.gov
  2. www.korea.net

Scope and Evidence

Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018.

  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  2. planning.dc.gov
  3. services.arcgis.com
  4. www.korea.net

Research Questions

Where Is Old Korean Legation Museum?

15 Logan Cir NW, Washington, DC.

Sources and basis

What Is the Site Area of Old Korean Legation Museum?

Site area: 2,434 sq ft. Record status: verified. Sum of LANDAREA for the identified, nonoverlapping tax parcels, in square feet. Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

What Is the 2026 Value of Old Korean Legation Museum?

2026 Value: $4,627,010. Record status: verified. Sum of current ASSESSMENT values for the identified parcels; CY1YEAR 2026 and DELCODE N. Includes land and improvements, not tax due or sale price. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

What Is the Floor Area of Old Korean Legation Museum?

Floor area: 5,844 sq ft. Record status: verified. DC CAMA: residential GBA is gross building area; commercial/condominium LIVING_GBA is the recorded living gross building or unit area. 0241 0074 building 1 section 1: 5,844 sq ft (commercial) Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

When Was Old Korean Legation Museum Built?

Constructed: 1877. Record status: verified. Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018. Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

Who Designed Old Korean Legation Museum?

Architect: Thomas M. Plowman. Record status: verified. Official nomination identifies Republic of Korea ownership, parcel 0241 0074, construction in 1877, architect Thomas M. Plowman, and legation use from 1889 to 1905. Chain of title records government reacquisition October 18, 2012; Korea Heritage Service reports museum opening in 2018. Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

Sources

  1. History of the Old Korean Legation

    History paragraphs and building overview

  2. Old Korean Legation: Historic Landmark and National Register nomination

    PDF page 1, address cover; PDF page 33 (Section 8, p. 32), chain of title and deed 2012112987

  3. Old Korean Legation Museum
  4. Old Korean Legation Museum
  5. Old Korean Legation Museum

Related Reading

Cite This Article

Old Korean Legation. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version 4874bd146599507e1049.

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