Architecture of Washington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, has a unique architectural history that continues into the present that is found almost nowhere else in the United States. Encompassing government, monumental, commercial, and residential architecture, D.C. is home to a large variety and range of styles, many of which date back hundreds of years.

History[]

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Architectural styles in Washington D.C.[]

American Craftsman and Bungalow[]

American Craftsman-type houses became popular in the D.C. area in the 20th century. These are most commonly found in areas such as Cleveland Park, Sixteenth Street Heights, and Maryland suburbs such as Kensington and Takoma Park.

Brutalism[]

Brutalism is present in many areas of downtown D.C., particularly used in museums, government buildings, and similar structures. Examples of buildings that are built in brutalist style are the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the James V. Forrestal Building, the Dupont Circle station, and the Embassy of Canada.^[1]

Beaux-Arts[]

Beaux-Arts architecture is one of the most common architecture styles used in government buildings in D.C. Some examples of Beaux-Arts buildings in D.C. are the Embassy of Uzbekistan, Wyoming Apartments, Carnegie Library of Washington D.C., and the Main Interior Building.

Gothic Revival and Neo-Gothic[]

Gothic Revival and Neo-Gothic architecture is utilized in Washington D.C.'s many churches and buildings of religious worship; notable examples include the Washington National Cathedral, Immaculate Conception Church, and the National Presbyterian Church. Other buildings built in a Gothic Revival or Neo-Gothic style in D.C. are St. Elizabeths Hospital and Alban Towers.

Neoclassical[]

Neoclassical architecture is D.C.'s most famous architectural style due to the long-standing presence of government buildings such as the White House, the Jefferson Memorial, United States Capitol, United States Supreme Court Building, and the Treasury Building. Other structures in Washington D.C. that are built in the Neoclassical style include Key Bridge, Farmers and Mechanics Bank, Lincoln Theatre, and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Neoclassical structures are mostly found in the National Mall and surrounding areas known for government presence, as well as in other neighborhoods such as Georgetown.

Romanesque Revival[]

Romanesque Revival architecture is used in many of D.C.'s historical apartment buildings, most notably The Cairo, as well as others such as the Luzon Apartment Building, the Gladstone and Hawarden Apartment Buildings, and the Jefferson Apartment Building. Churches in D.C. that are built in the Romanesque Revival style include the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and St. Aloysius Church. The Smithsonian Institution Building incorporates elements of both Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival styles in its architecture.

Victorian[]

Victorian residential architecture is present and recognizable in many of D.C.'s central and downtown neighborhoods, notably Capitol Hill and Columbia Heights, among others. In D.C., these homes are tall, narrow, and often brightly painted rowhomes, with a turreted or spired roof and an English basement.

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