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Perry Belmont House

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Perry Belmont House
Perry Belmont House is located in the District of Columbia
Perry Belmont House
Location1618 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington, District of Columbia
Built1909
ArchitectSanson, Ernest; Trumbauer,Horace
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
NRHP reference No.73002074 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 08, 1973

The International Temple, formerly the Perry Belmont House, is the world headquarters of the General Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, one of several corporate bodies affiliated to Freemasonry. The building is located at 1618 New Hampshire Avenue Northwest in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

History

The building, Beaux Arts in style, was built from 1906 to 1909 for Perry Belmont, son of August Belmont and grandson of Matthew C. Perry. The trapezoidal plot of land was purchased for $90,000, and construction cost $1.5 million. Perry Belmont served as a United States Congressman from New York, and later as the United States' ambassador to Spain. French architect Ernest Sanson designed the building, having built several chateaus in Europe. Sanson used wrought-iron fixtures from France, wood from Germany, and marble from Italy. Normally the house was used for only a few months out of the year, when Belmont hosted lavish parties for Washington's elite. In 1919 Edward, Prince of Wales, was a guest of the Belmonts (at President Woodrow Wilson's request); there he handed out medals to various American soldiers that Great Britain wished to honor for their roles in World War I. [2] [3] [4][5]

The Belmonts continued to use the building until 1925. In 1925 the Belmonts decided to place the house for sale. Himself a Freemason, Perry Belmont sold the building to General Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star for $100,000, on the condition that the Right Worthy Grand Secretary would live in the building.[6]

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Current usage

The building serves as the headquarters for General Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. The Right Worthy Grand Secretary and his/her spouse live on the premises. Tours are usually for members only. Items from the Belmont era of the mansion, as well as items sent to the International Temple as gifts from chapters around the world are on display. In one room five ceiling paintings depict the five heroines of the Order. There are 37 oil paintings and several Tiffany vases in the house. The Japanese four-fold teakwood screen was a gift from the Emperor of Japan to Perry Belmont.[7]

  • Rear view of building
    Rear view of building
  • Building entrance
    Building entrance
  • Building facade
    Building facade
  • Historic photo
    Historic photo

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
  2. ^ http://www.easternstar.org/ggc_headquarters.htm
  3. ^ Williams, Paul. Dupont Circle (Arcadia Publishing, 2000) pg.52,86
  4. ^ http://www.easternstar.org/tour/mwgp_suite.htm
  5. ^ ""Perry Belmont to Build; Will Have a Handsome Louis XVI Mansion in Washington"". The New York Times. 1907-02-17. Retrieved 2008-06-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ http://www.easternstar.org/ggc_headquarters.htm
  7. ^ Order of the Eastern Star Headquarters; Treasure Room
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