CHANCERIESTHE DIPLOMATIC ATLAS

Clarence Moore House, Uzbek Chancery and Former Canadian Legation

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Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC

A House for Canada’s Independent Mission

Canada bought the Clarence Moore House from Mabelle Swift Wichfeld on May 28, 1927, as it established its own diplomatic representation in Washington. Jules Henri de Sibour had designed the house through the firm of Bruce Price and de Sibour; construction ran from 1906 to 1909. The 1906 permit used 1748 Massachusetts Avenue, later changed to 1746. [1] [2]

For its first two decades under Canadian ownership, the house combined offices with the minister’s, and later ambassador’s, residence. In 1946, the residence furnishings moved to 2825 Rock Creek Drive, leaving the Massachusetts Avenue house for offices. The enlarged mission ultimately moved to Pennsylvania Avenue in 1989. [1] [2]

Uzbekistan acquired the house in summer 1996, three years after opening its embassy in Washington. The property became the Uzbek chancery. [3]

Diplomatic Use

Changes to the Property

  • Construction: 1906-09 to 1909 [1]
  • Property acquired: 1927-05-28 [1]
  • Canadian residential use ended: 1946 [1]
  • Canadian mission moved to Pennsylvania Avenue: 1989. Mission relocation does not establish the old property’s exact vacating or sale date. [2]
  • Property acquired: Uzbekistan: 1996. Summer [3]

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Limestone balconies, wrought-iron scrollwork and a slate mansard crown the former Clarence Moore House, Uzbekistan’s home on Embassy Row.

FactValueBasis and sources
Constructed1909verified; HABS DC-267, p.3: work began September 1906; completed 1909.
  1. tile.loc.gov
Acquired by Uzbekistan1996verified; The embassy explicitly gives summer 1996. The official account dates the building purchase separately from the mission’s 1993 opening.
  1. uzbekistan.org
NeighborhoodDupont Circleverified
  1. uzbekistan.org
ArchitectPrice & de Sibourverified; HABS building permit attribution, 1906. The embassy attributes design to Jules Henri de Sibour.
  1. tile.loc.gov
Rooms35–60 est.estimated; Broad room estimate with low confidence. HABS describes the historical floor arrangements but supplies no complete current room schedule. Rooms here mean separately enclosed principal, work and service rooms; corridors, stairs, bathrooms and closets are excluded. Later office partitions and residential subdivisions are unknown, so the evidence does not justify narrowing the existing 35–60 range.
  1. tile.loc.gov
Floor area37,100 sq ftverified; Recorded DC CAMA building area; preserve the source field and building scope.
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
Site area16,600 sq ftverified; Parcel total: 0158/0017. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded.
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
2026 DC Assessment$21,790,910verified; Current ASSESSMENT and PHASELAND + PHASEBUILD, CY1YEAR 2026; not proposed NEWTOTAL, prior OLDTOTAL or zero tax liability. Extract dated 3 August 2026. The 17 August 2026 ITSPE extract independently confirms ASSESSMENT 21,790,910 = PHASELAND 11,196,660 + PHASEBUILD 10,594,250, with CY1YEAR 2026; checked 22 October 2026.
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  2. services.arcgis.com
2026 Value$21.8Mverified; Parcel total: 0158/0017. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value.
  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
Diplomatic use1927verified; HABS DC-267, p. 7 (PDF p. 8), explicitly states that this house served as the combined Canadian chancery and residence from 1927 to 1946. The property’s first documented diplomatic use predates its 1996 acquisition by Uzbekistan. Documented diplomatic use at the property.
  1. tile.loc.gov

Scope and Evidence

Uzbekistan’s embassy opened in Washington in 1993; the mission dates its acquisition of this property to summer 1996.

Former Canadian legation and embassy. The Canadian ambassador moved out in 1946; this does not establish use as today’s Uzbek ambassador residence.

Exterior scale is anchored to HABS dimensions. Floor levels, present roof equipment and concealed joins are interpretations, checked against supplied photographs.

Contemporaneous reporting supports an Uzbek opening in 1996; the exact date remains unverified.

  1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  2. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  3. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  4. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  5. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
  6. services.arcgis.com
  7. tile.loc.gov
  8. tile.loc.gov
  9. uzbekistan.org
  10. www.washingtonpost.com

Research Questions

Where Is Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Sources and basis

When Was Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Built?

Constructed: 1909. Record status: verified. HABS DC-267, p.3: work began September 1906; completed 1909.

Sources and basis

Who Designed Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

Architect: Price & de Sibour. Record status: verified. HABS building permit attribution, 1906. The embassy attributes design to Jules Henri de Sibour.

Sources and basis

What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

Floor area: 37,100 sq ft. Record status: verified. Recorded DC CAMA building area; preserve the source field and building scope. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.

Sources and basis

What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

Site area: 16,600 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 0158/0017. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.

Sources and basis

What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

2026 Value: $21.8M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 0158/0017. 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.

Sources and basis

Sources

  1. Clarence Moore House (Canadian Chancery), HABS DC-267

    Printed pages 2–7; permits, residents, and mission history

  2. The Embassy

    About the Embassy, first paragraph

  3. Embassy: building history and acquisition

    Embassy building history: acquisition in summer 1996

  4. Inside the Mansions of Embassy Row

    May 8, 1997 article, discussion of the Uzbek embassy

  5. DC commercial CAMA: floor area
  6. DC owner polygon: parcel, address and ownership
  7. DC ITSPE: 2026 assessment
  8. DC ITSPE extract, 17 August 2026 — Uzbekistan owner record
  9. Property audit: Embassy of Uzbekistan Chancery — 2026 Value
  10. Property audit: Embassy of Uzbekistan Chancery — Floor area
  11. Property audit: Canadian Ambassador’s Residence — Diplomatic use

Notes

  • The historical survey places the move of residence furnishings in 1946. That event is separate from the 1947 acquisition date given for the Rock Creek Drive estate in a later DC guide.

Related Reading

Cite This Article

Clarence Moore House, Uzbek Chancery and Former Canadian Legation. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version cf336938f0429da1b22a.

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