Well this is one of the cooler old school buildings in DC. It’s located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW. You can read about it’s history here. Their Web site says:

“The Heurich Mansion was built in 1892-1894, during Dupont Circle’s golden era as the city’s premier residential neighborhood, by German immigrant, American citizen, brewer, real estate magnate, and philanthropist, Christian Heurich. The mansion was the city’s first fireproof home, having been built of reinforced steel and poured concrete, a novel construction technique at the time, and unheard of for residential construction. To ensure its safety, none of the fireplaces were ever used, and the top of the tower features a salamander, in mythology, a creature that guards against fire.

A distinguished example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, this Category Two Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places enjoys a reputation as the most intact late-Victorian home in Washington D.C., and has been featured on A&E’s “America’s Castles” and HGTV’s “Dream Builders.”

The 31-room home is replete with hand-carved wood, 15 fireplaces with individually carved mantles and cast bronze fire backs, hand-painted ceiling canvases, luxuriously furnished rooms, and original turn-of-the-century Heurich family collections.”

Lots more photos after the jump. (more…)


I thought this one was really cool. It is the Mexican Embassy on Pennsylvania Ave., NW. I like how the built it around the two existing row houses. What do you think – thumbs up or down?


Sadly it is mostly blocked by a fence. But happily the fence and gates are pretty cool:

More after the jump. (more…)


Wow, I think they did a great job on this one. I actually think the brick and the siding contrast works rather well. It is wild how they seem to fit together like a puzzle piece. What do you think – thumbs up or down?


I dig that second floor balcony. Since it’s Friday I have to post another insane HotD before I forget:


“Dear PoP,

I see online that it is, or was, Brookland week. I would encourage you to stop by the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, just north of the Basillica off of Harewood Rd. I drove up Harewood Avenue after mass at the Basillica a few weeks ago and was like, “What the heck is that?” Personally, I think the building and front lawn are gorgeous!”

Yup, was pretty taken with this building. And the lawn was amazing. I was telling my buddy who was showing me around that this would be a great spot for a frisbee game. I have truly enjoyed “Brookland week”! Also right next door to the Cultural Center is another cool church – Ukranian Catholic Shrine.

But I’m most curious what you think about the Cultural Center located at 3900 Harewood Road, NE?


This house was super wild because it was the only house on a commercial strip. Literally the only one. I’ve never seen this before. It’d be like all of a sudden if there was a house in the middle of U Street between 13th and 14th… (From Brookland).


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