The last Gilded Age mansion on Dupont Circle

The Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington DC remained largely undeveloped until after the US Civil War. Then, during what is known as the Gilded Age, wealthy families began building large mansions to house them during the social season, which for Washington was spring and fall when Congress was in session. Beginning in the 1920s, many of these mansions were sold to be used as foreign embassies or the headquarters of civic organizations rather than demolished. As a result, the avenues that radiate out from Dupont Circle—such as the portion of Massachusetts Avenue known as “Embassy Row”—still retains much of their Gilded Age flair. An exception is the Circle itself where only one original mansion—the Paterson House—remains. Now it is being turned into upscale apartments.

See

PHOTOS: Inside Dupont Circle’s Historic Patterson Mansion

By Marisa M. Kashino

Washingtonian Magazine

June 29, 2017