The Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District is a neighborhood and historic district located in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The boundaries of the historic district include Rock Creek Park to the north and west, P Street to the south, and 22nd Street and Florida Avenue to the east. On the southwestern edge of the neighborhood is a stretch of Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue. The other neighborhood and historic district that lies to the east of Sheridan-Kalorama is Kalorama Triangle Historic District. The two neighborhoods are divided by Connecticut Avenue. For many years both neighborhoods were geographically connected before the stretch of Connecticut Avenue was installed toward the Taft Bridge. Oftentimes, both neighborhoods are simply called "Kalorama" or "Kalorama Heights".
There are two traffic circles in Sheridan-Kalorama: Kalorama Circle and Sheridan Circle. The latter is a park centered on the equestrian statue of General Philip Sheridan. The name "Kalorama" means "fine view" in Greek. There are several parks in Sheridan-Kalorama, including Mitchell Park and the Ukrainian Independence Park. A large number of buildings and sites in the neighborhood are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (DCIHS). Four of these buildings are National Historic Landmarks and over 600 structures are contributing properties to the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District, which was listed on the NRHP and DCIHS in 1989.
The original inhabitants of present-day Sheridan-Kalorama were the Nacotchtank and Mattawoman tribes. During the 17th century, Sheridan-Kalorama was part of a large estate, named Widow's Mite. Various portions of the land were sold throughout the years, and a large house built in the area was named Belair. The house was renamed Kalorama by Joel Barlow in the early 19th century. The house was commandeered during the Civil War and caught fire in 1865. Due to a sharp increase of the city's population after the war, people began looking beyond the city's boundary, as Sheridan-Kalorama was part of Washington County, D.C., at the time. Some of the lots during this time were developed for housing, often large homes for wealthy people, intellectuals, and high-ranking government and military officials. The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 moved the city's boundary to its current size, thus Sheridan-Kalorama joined Washington, D.C.
After Connecticut Avenue was extended north of Florida Avenue, streetcars lines were installed on the road, drawing more people to buy or build houses in the surrounding area. Speculative real estate in the neighborhood began in the 1890s, as ornate rowhouses were built along the neighborhood's main streets. Unlike Kalorama Triangle, which mostly catered to the middle-class, Sheridan-Kalorama catered to the upper-class. The houses in Sheridan-Kalorama were larger and more grand. Some of these rowhouses and the older homes were demolished and replaced with large apartment buildings. One of the most popular architectural styles built in early 20th-century Sheridan-Kalorama was Colonial Revival, although many other styles are represented in the neighborhood. Decatur Circle was renamed Sheridan Circle and large palatial homes were built in the immediate area.
During the Great Depression, many of the mansions and ornate rowhouses were sold to foreign governments. This process has continued for decades and the neighborhood is home to dozens of embassies, ambassadorial residences, and other diplomatic buildings. Many of them are located along Embassy Row or on streets near it. By 1993, almost 200 buildings in the neighborhood were used as diplomatic offices or residences. The neighborhood has attracted these nations due to the prestige and quiet suburban-like setting. Six U.S. presidents have lived in Sheridan-Kalorama, including Barack Obama. Other notable figures who have lived in the neighborhood include justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, members of Congress, presidential secretaries, and military leaders.
Geography
The Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District encompasses the entire Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood, located in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The rough boundaries of the historic district are Rock Creek Park to the north and west, P Street to the south, and 22nd Street and Florida Avenue to the east. The surrounding neighborhoods are also historic districts, Dupont Circle to the south and east, and Kalorama Triangle to the northeast.
Massachusetts Avenue, another historic district, bisects the neighborhood from the south to the northwest. The properties along the west side of Massachusetts Avenue abut Rock Creek Park. Like many other neighborhoods outside the original 1791 L'Enfant Plan, some of the roads in Sheridan-Kalorama do not share the same grid pattern.
In addition to the major roads marking the boundary, the primary roads in Sheridan-Kalorama are 23rd Street, 24th Street, California Street, Kalorama Road, S Street, and Wyoming Avenue. There is one residential circle, Kalorama Circle, on the northern edge of the district, and Sheridan Circle on the southern edge. There are a few parks in the district, including the largest, Mitchell Park, as well as Robert Emmet Memorial Park, Sheridan Circle park, and the Ukrainian Independence Park.
Lots on the southern portion of the historic district tend to be flat, while the land gradually rises the further north one goes in the neighborhood. The highest point is at Mitchell Park and the surrounding lots. The land drops sharply behind the properties on Massachusetts Avenue, Belmont Road, Kalorama Circle, and Kalorama Road, due to the geography of Rock Creek Park.
History 17th and 18th centuries The area now known as Sheridan-Kalorama was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, the Nacotchtank and Mattawoman. During the 17th century, they came into conflict with white settlers moving to the area. One of the settlers, John Langworth, had been given a tract of land in 1663 by Charles II of England. The tract was later called Widow's Mite and owned by the Anthony Holmead family at some point in the late 18th or early 19th century. The land was located outside the boundaries of the District of Columbia, and was a part of Maryland for many years.
Anthony Holmead II emigrated from England to the U.S., to take possession of the land his uncle owned. He built two houses, one called Rock Hill located around 23rd and S Streets, where he raised a large family. In 1791, the City of Washington was laid out, but its furthest reach going north was Boundary Street (now Florida Avenue). The neighborhood became part of Washington County, D.C. at that time. Holmead sold his house and a portion of his land in 1794, moving just to the east of his former land. The new owner, Gustavus Scott, called his estate Belair, but overspent while trying to improve the estate. He sold two portion of his land, which soon became the site of a paper mill and grist mill.
19th century Early residents
Scott died in 1803 and the next owner of Belair was politician William Augustine Washington, nephew of George Washington. He only owned the land for a few years before selling it to poet Joel Barlow, who renamed the estate Kalorama, which means "fine view" in Greek. Barlow improved the estate and built a second house on the highest portion of his land. The original house was renovated and expanded following the designs of Barlow's friend, Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Barlow had many influential people visit his estate, including President Thomas Jefferson and inventor Robert Fulton.
Barlow died while on a trip to Europe, and his widow, Ruth, continued living in their house with her sister and brother-in-law Colonel George Bomford. After Ruth's death, the property was passed on to her brother, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Henry Baldwin. Bomford bought the property and some of the surrounding land, owning it until 1846. The next owner of Kalorama, Thomas R. Lovett, purchased the property for his mother. At this time, the Holmeads were still neighbors living on the adjoining property to the east.
Kalorama was commandeered by the Union Army during the Civil War and used as a smallpox hospital. This continued until 1865 when a fire destroyed the house. The site where Kalorama once stood is now Mitchell Park. After the war ended, there was a large increase of people moving to Washington, D.C., and with them the need for additional homes and apartments. Between 1865 and 1880, an increasing amount of lots were sold, resulting in the loss of previous vast estates. One of the most prominent residences built during this time was an octagonal house where former Ohio Governor William Bebb lived. The house remained until 1949 when it was demolished.
Development begins
After the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 was passed, Washington County became part of the District of Columbia. Improvements were made to transportation routes and sewer lines were installed north of Boundary Street. Massachusetts Avenue was extended past Boundary Street, before gradually making a sharp turn going northwest along modern-day Embassy Row. Development rapidly occurred in Dupont Circle, and gradually reached farther north to Kalorama Triangle when streetcars were installed along the new portion of Columbia Road and Connecticut Avenue.
Even though rowhouses were being constructed at a rapid pace in Dupont Circle, most of Sheridan-Kalorama was still rural, except for the few landowners who had not sold their properties to developers. Land value tripled as development moved north, and most of old Sheridan-Kalorama was platted and divided into lots. Local officials announced in 1886 that a bridge would be built on Massachusetts Avenue crossing Rock Creek. Despite this, houses were not being constructed at the expected pace. Kalorama Triangle grew before Sheridan-Kalorama, thanks to the two streetcar lines commuters could ride.
Extending Connecticut Avenue north of Boundary Street to a planned bridge crossing Rock Creek divided Kalorama Triangle from Sheridan-Kalorama, then known as Kalorama Heights. The latter was to be the preferred neighborhood for wealthier residents, while Kalorama Triangle was composed of mostly middle class residents. Although the interior of Sheridan-Kalorama remained undeveloped, except for the lots near the streetcar line on Connecticut Avenue, the lots along Massachusetts Avenue quickly developed with large, elaborate houses.
By the late 1890s, speculative housing was constructed in the interior of the neighborhood, along S Street, Wyoming Avenue, Leroy Place, and Bancroft Place. Examples include stand-alone houses on Wyoming Avenue, California Street, and Kalorama Road, built in 1892. One of these houses is now the Embassy of North Macedonia. Typical rowhouses were also built in the 1890s, including ones along 22nd Street, Florida Avenue, Q Street, and R Street.
20th century Continued development
Development in the early 20th century permanently changed the character of the neighborhood. Estates spread out over the Sheridan-Kalorama area were purchased, the land plotted, and new suburban-like homes were built. The two neighborhoods partially sharing the same name were divided due to changes in the road layout. By 1900, there were 114 structures in the neighborhood, representing almost 20 percent of houses that remain today. In 1901, a stone bridge was installed carrying Massachusetts Avenue over Rock Creek. That bridge was later replaced in the early 1940's with the current Charles C. Glover Memorial Bridge.