Meridian House is a historic mansion in Washington, D.C. , located in the Meridian Hill neighborhood of Northwest D.C. . It was designed by American architect John Russell Pope and built in 1920 for Ambassador Irwin B. Laughlin , who filled it with his extensive collection of French paintings and Oriental porcelain. It stayed in the Laughlin family until 1960, when it was purchased by the non-profit Meridian International Center .
41-489: Meridian House was built by American diplomat Irwin B. Laughlin . He purchased the land in 1912, two years after his friend Henry White bought the adjacent site at 1624 Crescent Place. After a long career with the US Foreign Service , Laughlin retired in 1919 and built Meridian House, filling it with his collection of 18th-century French drawings and Oriental porcelains and screens. Although he later returned to
82-783: A Proto-Indo-European word *ptel-ei̯ā with a meaning of "broad" (feminine); perhaps "broad-leaved" or similar. The genus is generally called "lime" or "linden" in Britain and "linden", "lime", or "basswood" in North America. "Lime" is an altered form of Middle English lind , in the 16th century also line , from Old English feminine lind or linde , Proto-Germanic *lindō (cf. Dutch /German Linde, plural Linden ), cognate to Latin lentus "flexible" and Sanskrit latā " liana ". Within Germanic languages , English "lithe" and Dutch /German lind for "lenient, yielding" are from
123-873: A beautiful Mortlake tapestry , which has been dated by experts as late 17th century. The tapestry, purchased by the Laughlin family in England at the turn of the century, depicts the legendary reception given Alexander the Great by the Greek philosopher Diogenes . An almost identical tapestry hangs in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh , Scotland . The dining room also features two portraits - one of Ambassador Laughlin and one of his daughter, Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, as
164-468: A child. A portrait of Mrs. Laughlin hangs nearby in the Chairmen's Study. All three were painted by Philip de László , the renowned portrait artist of the early 20th century. The reception gallery remains much as it was at the time the Laughlin family occupied the house. The wrought-iron and marble-topped side tables, the four Waterford crystal torcheres in the corners, the blue Chinese temple jars, and
205-451: A dripping of excess sap onto the lower branches and leaves, and anything else below. Cars left under the trees can quickly become coated with a film of the syrup ("honeydew") thus dropped from higher up. The ant/aphid "farming" process does not appear to cause any serious damage to the trees. The linden is recommended as an ornamental tree when a mass of foliage or a deep shade is desired. It produces fragrant and nectar-producing flowers and
246-639: A material for drum shells, both to enhance their sound and for their aesthetics. Linden wood is also the material of choice for window blinds and shutters. Real-wood blinds are often made from this lightweight but strong and stable wood, which is well suited to natural and stained finishes. In China, 冻蘑/"dongmo" grows well on decomposing logs of Tilia trees in the old-growth forest ; therefore, people use logs of Tilia trees to cultivate S. edulis and even Black fungus or shiitake mushrooms with excellent results. Currently, "椴木黑木耳/ Tilia -logs-black fungus" or "椴木香菇/ Tilia -logs-shiitake mushrooms" has become
287-644: A ribbon-like, greenish-yellow bract whose apparent purpose is to launch the ripened seed clusters just a little beyond the parent tree. The flowers of the European and American Tilia species are similar, except the American ones bear a petal-like scale among their stamens and the European varieties are devoid of these appendages. All of the Tilia species may be propagated by cuttings and grafting, as well as by seed. They grow rapidly in rich soil, but are subject to
328-478: A standard which should endure permanently. After undergoing a major renovation in 1994, Meridian House's principal rooms retain their architectural detail as well as some of the original decorative features, such as the 18th-century European overdoor paintings and antique brass hardware and lighting fixtures. The classical symmetry of the Louis XVI style is reflected throughout the house. The dining room features
369-476: A term for a method of cultivating black fungus and shiitake mushrooms and "椴木/ Tilia -logs" no longer exclusively refers to Tilia tree wood but also to other woods suitable for black fungus or shiitake mushrooms cultivation. In Russian, "linden-made" (липовый, lipoviy ) is a term for forgery, due to the popularity of the material for making forged seals in the past centuries. Known in the trade as basswood, particularly in North America, its name originates from
410-440: A wide range of fungal symbionts and a preference toward Ascomycota fungal partners. Tilia species are mostly large, deciduous trees, reaching typically 20 to 40 m (65 to 130 ft) tall, with oblique-cordate (heart-shaped) leaves 6 to 20 cm ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 to 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 in) across. As with elms , the exact number of species is uncertain, as many of the species can hybridise readily, both in
451-489: Is an important honey plant for beekeepers, giving rise to a pale but richly flavoured monofloral honey . In European and North American herbal medicine, the flowers are also used for herbal teas and tinctures . The flowers are used for herbal tea in the winter in the Balkans. In China, dried Tilia flowers are also used to make tea. In English landscape gardens , avenues of linden trees were fashionable, especially during
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#1732798281868492-725: Is called "white honey" or "snow honey". Heilongjiang is well-known throughout the country for producing high-quality " Tilia honey": Heilongjiang not only has lush Tilia trees, but also a rare and excellent bee species - " 东北黑蜂/Northeast Black Bee " to collect honey（ Raohe County is the location of the national "东北黑蜂自然保护区/Northeast Black Bee Nature Reserve". It is the only nature reserve for bees in Asia. ). " Tilia honey" mainly comes from Tilia amurensis and Tilia mandshurica . " Tilia honey" and southern " longan honey" and " lychee honey" are called "China's three famous honeys". " Tilia honey", " rape honey" and " black acacia honey " are
533-824: The American legation in Tokyo in 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War . In 1906, he was secretary to the American legation in Bangkok and Consul General of Siam . He was second secretary to the American legation in Peking in 1907, and then served in a similar capacity in Saint Petersburg , Athens , Montenegro , and Paris . In 1910, he served as secretary of the special envoy to the Sultan of Turkey . He
574-987: The Union Army during the Civil War , participating in the campaigns of the Fifth Corps of the Army of the Potomac from Antietam to Appomattox . His paternal grandfather was James H. Laughlin , a pioneer in Pittsburgh's iron and steel industries, and his maternal grandfather was William McKennan (1816–1893), a federal judge for the Third Circuit court of appeals. Laughlin attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire , and Yale University , where he graduated in 1893. After graduation he entered
615-671: The larvae of some Lepidoptera ; see List of Lepidoptera that feed on Tilia . In Europe, some linden trees reached considerable ages. A coppice of T. cordata in Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is estimated to be 2,000 years old. In the courtyard of the Imperial Castle at Nuremberg is a Tilia , which by tradition recounted in 1900, was planted by the Empress Cunigunde ,
656-660: The Netherlands. Linden trees produce soft and easily worked timber, which has very little grain and a density of 560 kg/m . It was often used by Germanic tribes for constructing shields. It is a popular wood for model building and for intricate carving. Especially in Germany, it was the classic wood for sculpture from the Middle Ages onwards and is the material for the elaborate altarpieces of Veit Stoss , Tilman Riemenschneider , and many others. In England, it
697-504: The age of 69. Tilia About 30 Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Great Britain and Ireland they are commonly called lime trees , although they are not related to the citrus lime . The genus occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but
738-484: The antique clock and barometer on the mirrored walls are all part of the original furnishings. The loggia , which links the major reception rooms and rear garden, includes four marble busts sculpted in France, representing the four seasons. A Latin inscription, " Quo habitat felicitas nil intret mali ", appears over the front door and translates "Where happiness dwells, evil will not enter." Another inscription, over
779-420: The attack of many insects. Tilia is notoriously difficult to propagate from seed unless collected fresh in fall. If allowed to dry, the seeds go into a deep dormancy and take 18 months to germinate. This list comprises the most widely accepted species, hybrids, and cultivars. The Latin tilia is cognate to Greek πτελέᾱ, ptelea , " elm tree ", τιλίαι, tiliai , " black poplar " ( Hes. ), ultimately from
820-412: The burden of disease - one of the major contributors to pollinator decline. A beverage made from dried linden leaves and flowers is brewed and consumed as a folk medicine and relaxant in many Balkan countries, including Serbia and Greece . Usually, the double-flowered species are used to make perfumes. The leaf buds and young leaves are also edible raw. Tilia species are used as food plants by
861-572: The country and the Second Spanish Republic was established. When the proclamation of the Republic was issued on April 14, 1931, Laughlin, who had supported Alfonso XIII's efforts to institute a constitutional monarchy, reacted cautiously. He advised Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson against extending formal recognition to the Republic. Stimson ultimately recognized the provisional government after Great Britain had done so but
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#1732798281868902-643: The diplomatic corps, serving as Ambassador to Greece and Spain in the 1920s and '30s, Laughlin also played an active role in Washington's artistic and historical communities. Ambassador Laughlin was married to Therese Iselin, daughter of New York City banker Adrian Iselin Jr. Their daughter, Gertrude, who married Rear Admiral Hubert Winthrop Chanler , lived in Meridian House during her youth and from time to time after her marriage, especially when her husband
943-650: The greatest species diversity is found in Asia. Under the Cronquist classification system , this genus was placed in the family Tiliaceae , but genetic research summarised by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has resulted in the incorporation of this genus, and of most of the previous family, into the Fabaceae . Tilia is the only known ectomycorrhizal genus in the family Malvaceae . Studies of ectomycorrhizal relations of Tilia species indicate
984-667: The house with his collection of 18th century French drawings and Oriental porcelains and screens. He returned to diplomacy in 1921 as secretary to Senator Henry Cabot Lodge at the Washington Naval Conference . In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge appointed him Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece , a position he held for two years. President Herbert Hoover appointed him Ambassador to Spain in 1929, and he served until 1933. During Laughlin's ambassadorship to Spain, King Alfonso XIII left
1025-450: The house with their own children. In 1929, Meridian House was described by Architectural Forum as, Perhaps as fine a piece of work of its kind as this country can show ... Certainly the manner of this house has not in this country been better done, not only in terms of stylistic authenticity, but in terms of pure architecture, meaning good taste in selectivity, in elimination, in execution. It cannot from its nature do otherwise than set
1066-653: The house, as are the statues at the four roof-line corners. [REDACTED] Media related to Meridian House, Washington, D.C. at Wikimedia Commons Irwin B. Laughlin Irwin Boyle Laughlin (April 26, 1871 – April 18, 1941) was an American diplomat . He served as Minister to Greece from 1924 to 1926 and Ambassador to Spain from 1929 to 1933. Laughlin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , in 1871 to George McCully Laughlin (1842–1908) and Isabel McKennan Laughlin. His father served in
1107-532: The inner fibrous bark of the tree, known as bast. A strong fibre is obtained from the tree by peeling off the bark and soaking it in water for a month, after which the inner fibres can be easily separated. Bast obtained from the inside of the bark of the Tilia japonica tree has been used by the Ainu people of Japan to weave their traditional clothing, the attus . Excavations in Britain have shown that lime tree fibre
1148-470: The late 17th and early 18th centuries. Many country houses have a surviving "lime avenue" or "lime walk", the example at Hatfield House was planted between 1700 and 1730. The fashion was derived from the earlier practice of planting lindens in lines as shade trees in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France. Most of the trees used in British gardens were cultivars propagated by layering in
1189-660: The office of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company , established by Benjamin Franklin Jones and his grandfather, James H. Laughlin. He was the treasurer of the company from 1900 to 1903. Laughlin left the steel industry in 1903 to pursue a career in the Foreign Service . In 1904 he became private secretary to Lloyd Carpenter Griscom , then serving as Minister to Japan . He was appointed second secretary to
1230-425: The rear courtyard doors, reads: " Purior hic aer: late hinc conspectus in urbem ," meaning "Purer here the air whence we overlook the city," a quotation also inscribed on a house at the top of Rome's Spanish Steps . The rear and side gardens largely retain their original design. The pebbled courtyard has 40 linden trees , imported from Europe when the house was built. The statues throughout the garden are original to
1271-417: The same name, such as Key limes ( Citrus × aurantifolia ). Another common name used in North America is basswood, derived from bast , the name for the inner bark (see Uses , below). Teil is an old name for the lime tree. Aphids are attracted by the rich supply of sap, and are in turn often "farmed" by ants for the production of the sap, which the ants collect for their own use, and the result can often be
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1312-459: The same root. "Linden" was originally the adjective, "made from linwood or lime-wood" (equivalent to "wooden" or "oaken"); from the late 16th century, "linden" was also used as a noun, probably influenced by translations of German romance, as an adoption of Linden , the plural of Linde in Dutch and German. Neither the name nor the tree is related to Citrus genus species and hybrids that go by
1353-453: The three most productive honeys in China. The dried flowers are mildly sweet and sticky, and the fruit is somewhat sweet and mucilaginous. Linden flower tea has a pleasing taste, due to the aromatic volatile oil found in the flowers. Phytochemicals in the Tilia flowers include flavonoids and tannins with astringent properties. The nectar contains a major secondary metabolite with
1394-402: The trivial name tiliaside (1-[4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-1,3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate]-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranose) which is transformed in the gut of bumblebees to the aglycone (i.e., the gentiobiose group is cleaved) which is bioactive against a common and debilitating gut parasite of bumblebees, Crithidia bombi . This naturally occurring compound may support bees to manage
1435-522: The wife of Henry II of Germany circa 1000. The Tilia of Neuenstadt am Kocher in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was estimated at 1000 years old when it fell. The Alte Linde tree of Naters, Switzerland, is mentioned in a document in 1357 and described by the writer at that time as already magnam (large). A plaque at its foot mentions that in 1155, a linden tree was already on this spot. The Najevnik linden tree ( Slovene : Najevska lipa ),
1476-531: The wild and in cultivation. They are hermaphroditic , having perfect flowers with both male and female parts, pollinated by insects. The Tilia 's sturdy trunk stands like a pillar and the branches divide and subdivide into numerous ramifications on which the twigs are fine and thick. In summer, these are profusely clothed with large leaves and the result is a dense head of abundant foliage. The leaves of all Tilia species are heart-shaped, and most are asymmetrical. The tiny, pea-like fruit hangs attached to
1517-598: Was away on naval assignments. The house remained in the Laughlin family until 1958. In 1960, a newly created non-profit organization dedicated to promoting international understanding, which later became Meridian International Center , received a grant from the Ford Foundation to purchase Meridian House. Gertrude Laughlin Chanler served as a Meridian trustee for many years and made a substantial donation to start Meridian's endowment. Her children continue to support Meridian International Center and frequently visit
1558-437: Was careful not to use the term "Spanish Republic" and stated that the U.S. government did not "wish to give the appearance of prejudging events." On September 18, 1912, Laughlin married Therese E. Iselin, daughter of New York banker Adrian Iselin Jr. They had two children, Alexander Laughlin and Gertrude Laughlin. Gertrude married Rear Admiral Hubert Winthrop Chanler . Laughlin died in 1941 at his home in Washington D.C. at
1599-483: Was preferred for clothing there during the Bronze Age. The Manchu people in the mountains of Northeast China made ropes, baskets, raincoats, large fishing nets, and guide lines for gunpowder from the bast. Similar fibres obtained from other plants are also called bast: see Bast fibre . Tilia is a high-quality wild honey plant. In China, "椴树蜜/ Tilia honey" is produced in the northeast region. White in color, it
1640-752: Was secretary to the Embassy in Berlin and chargé d'affaires in 1911. He was secretary of the Embassy in London from 1912 to 1917 and counselor of the embassy from 1916 to 1919. Laughlin then took an extended leave of absence from the Foreign Service in 1919, during which time he built the Meridian House at 1630 Crescent Place in Washington, D.C. , on land he had purchased in 1912. He filled
1681-671: Was the favoured medium of the sculptor Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721). The wood is used in marionette - and puppet -making and -carving. Having a fine, light grain and being comparatively light in weight, it has been used for centuries for this purpose; despite the availability of modern alternatives, it remains one of the main materials used as of 2015 . In China, it was also widely used in carving or furniture, interior decorating, handicrafts, etc. Ease of working and good acoustic properties also make limewood popular for electric and bass guitar bodies and for wind instruments such as recorders . Percussion manufacturers sometimes use Tilia as