British Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.

The British ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C. is located at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. in the Embassy Row neighborhood.

The British ambassador's residence
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Principal southern facade overlooking garden
Location	3100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°55′15.92″N 77°3′46.79″W / 38.9210889°N 77.0629972°W / 38.9210889; -77.0629972
Built	1928
Architect	Edwin Lutyens
Architectural style	Queen Anne
Part of	Massachusetts Avenue Historic District (ID74002166)
Designated CP	November 26, 1973

History and architecture

It was commissioned in 1925, and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1928. An example of Queen Anne architecture, the residence is the only building Lutyens designed in North America. Frederick H. Brooke, the on-site architect, assisted with the design and oversaw the construction of the embassy, which was conducted by developer Harry Wardman. The full facade of the building was designed to face southwards towards its gardens, and the building was roofed with Ludowici clay tile.

The home is the most prominent part of a compound that also includes the offices of the embassy chancery and is a contributing property to the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales stayed at the residence during their 1985 visit to Washington, D.C. Its 2009 property value is $31,308,480. There are about 10,000 visitors each year.

The residence, together with the embassy offices, underwent a 5 year renovation costing £118.8 million ending in 2023.

View of eastern facade from Massachusetts Avenue

• Hallway
• Sitting room
• Library

See also

• Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C.
• Winfield House, the equivalent American residence in London

Further reading

• Anthony Seldon, Daniel Collings, The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador's Residence in Washington, Random House Incorporated, 2014, ISBN 9782081299023
• A History of the Gardens of the Ambassador's Residence, British Embassy, Washington

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/74002166_text
3. "Frederick H. Brooke". Landscape of a Washington Place. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
4. "Wardman and the British Embassy". Landscape of a Washington Place. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
5. Foster, Peter (7 May 2014). "Window on to another world: the residence of Britain's ambassador to the US". The Daily Telegraph.
6. Ludowici-Celadon Company (October 1931). "The New British Embassy". American Architect. Vol. 140, no. 2600. Open Court Publishing Company. p. 63.
7. Clines, Francis X. (10 November 1985). "The British Have Landed and Washington is Taken". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
8. Sellers, Frances Stead. "A new book opens the doors on the British ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C." The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
9. Chappet, Marie-Claire (2023-10-04). "The newly-revamped British embassy in Washington brims with eye-wateringly expensive art following £118.8 million refurb". Tatler. Retrieved 2024-12-02.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C..

• The British Embassy – Ambassador's residence
• The British Ambassador's Residence Washington DC, Chantal Condron, Alison Fuller, Government Art Collection, 2005, ISBN 978-0-9516468-5-4
• A History of the Gardens of the Ambassador's Residence, British Embassy, Washington