The Patterson Mansion (also known as the Patterson House or the Washington Club ) is a historic Neoclassical-style mansion located at 15 Dupont Circle NW in Washington, D.C. , in the United States.
120-653: It was built by Robert Wilson Patterson , editor of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and used by him and his family for entertaining when he was in the city. Completed in 1903, it was deeded to the American Red Cross in 1948. The Red Cross sold it to the Washington Club in 1951. The structure was renovated and given a two-story addition in 1955. In June 2014, the Washington Club sold the mansion for $ 20 million to developer SB-Urban. The mansion
240-429: A drawing room and its plaster walls covered over with walnut paneling. Felicia Grizycka's bedroom suite on third floor was turned into reception/board room. Most significantly, the Washington Club closed off all the east wall windows on first and second floors. A two-story addition was constructed on the east side in 1956. New doors were cut through the walls on the first floor from the servants' hall and kitchen, and
360-456: A $ 31 million investment from CBD LLC, a District-based real estate investment firm, in August 2015. The two companies, which formed a joint venture to renovate the mansion, said they planned 92 mini-apartments for the site, with shared living space, an on-site chef providing meals, meeting space, a private wine cellar, and a fully staffed private bar in the mansion's ballroom. Hartman-Cox Architects
480-686: A Mrs. Anna Howell Stewart. Mrs. Patterson hired the architect Stanford White, who designed the Pattersons' home in Chicago, to develop plans for the house. They were finalized in April 1901, with a projected cost of $ 85,000 ($ 2,882,444 in 2023 dollars). The George A. Fuller Company began construction in June 1901. The home was nearly completed 18 months later. But on November 15, 1902, four days before her son Joseph's wedding to Alice Higinbotham, paint cans in
600-631: A decade between Irish immigrants and Black people for work. Rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum to the ground. At least 120 people were killed. Eleven Black men were lynched over five days, and the riots forced hundreds of Blacks to flee. The Black population in Manhattan fell below 10,000 by 1865. The White working class had established dominance. It was one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history . In 1886,
720-475: A decorative molding around the ceiling. The doors were similar to those of the library, and in the east wall was a fireplace with iron firebox and marble mantel in the Georgian style. The room was lit by six mirror-backed crystal wall sconces with three crystal torch-arms. A single 12-light crystal chandelier with two hidden light tiers and an elaborate brass canopy hung from the ceiling. Bedroom suites occupied
840-413: A door leading to a cloakroom . To the right of the cloakroom door is a fireplace framed by exquisite moldings and a mantelpiece in the 15th-century Italian style. In the south wall, a door gave entry to the reception hall. Two marble steps led to a small landing and then the main staircase in the east wall (northeast corner). Adjacent to the main staircase to the right (south) was the elevator, and then
960-712: A family argument in 1942, Cissy changed her will and asked that the mansion be donated to the League of Republican Women of the District of Columbia. She changed her mind again in 1946 and left it to the American Red Cross. Cissy Patterson died on July 24, 1948. Her will donated the building and most of its furnishings to the American Red Cross (ARC). (Family portraits and silverware were not included.) Cissy's daughter, Felicia Gizycka (who had divorced Pearson and taken her father's last name), received an income of $ 25,000
1080-537: A gigantic cotillion ball for social debut of her daughter, Eleanor Josephine Medill "Cissy" Patterson . Until 1922, Nellie Patterson kept a full staff of about 10 to 15 servants, dressed in livery , to provide services to the family and guests at the Patterson Mansion. Her husband, Robert Wilson Patterson, died in 1910. Nellie Patterson spent less and less time in the Dupont Circle mansion over
1200-466: A group of mine owners from the western United States, led by Curtis J. Hillyer and Senator William Morris Stewart , purchased $ 600,000 of nearby land. A large number of palatial residences, including Stewart's Castle , were soon constructed on and around the circle. In response to demands by this politically influential group, the city made major improvements to Massachusetts and Connecticut Avenue NW . The traffic circle itself, which had been enclosed by
1320-418: A handrail encased in red velvet. The staircase fountain is made of white marble with grey and tan veins. The semi-circular bowl is supported by an eagle with outspread wings. Water pours from the mouth of a faun , above which is perched a swan in bas-relief. Decorated pilasters on either side of the fountain support a plain frieze, above which is an inset fan capped by an acroterion . The second floor layout
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#17328018859041440-531: A result of Sandy, and the economic losses in New York City were estimated to be roughly $ 19 billion. The disaster spawned long-term efforts towards infrastructural projects to counter climate change and rising seas, with $ 15 billion in federal funding received through 2022 towards those resiliency efforts. In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in the city was confirmed. With its population density and its extensive exposure to global travelers,
1560-465: A rough wooden fence since the 1860s, was landscaped, pedestrian paths laid, and drinking fountains and gas street lighting added. Known as "Pacific Circle", it was renamed Dupont Circle in 1882 when the site was chosen for a statue to Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont that was erected in 1884. On March 30, 1900, Robert Wilson Patterson's wife, Elinor "Nellie" Medill Patterson, purchased the lot at 15 Dupont Circle for $ 83,406 ($ 2,828,390 in 2023 dollars) from
1680-416: A six-story addition to wrap around the rear of the structure. The lower floors of this addition were taller than the upper floors, and it would be attached to the mansion itself. The company planned to turn the mansion's first two floors into a bar, lounges, and a restaurant, and the two upper floors to become hotel rooms. The company said it would tear down the 1956 addition. Historic preservationists applauded
1800-409: A small door and corridor giving onto the servants' section in the rear of the mansion's first floor. Northwest of the billiard room was an automobile garage , with the garage door giving onto Dupont Circle. Northeast of the garage, and connected to the garage and the cloakroom, was a bicycle storage room. In the rear of the ground floor was the servants' area. Clockwise from the north, this consisted of
1920-433: A small dramatic mask. The sill of each third floor window is of scrollwork, while the window is topped by scrollwork and a torch . Circular medallions with pendants decorate the outside frame of the furthermost window on the third floor. A bas-relief putto stands atop each medallion and panel, supporting fruit swags. Between the third and fourth (or attic) floors is a molding decorated with repetitive small eggs which serves as
2040-516: A social kitchen, ballroom, and library. The mansion is in the Neoclassical style, with exterior Italianate decorative motifs. Some sources call it Italianate in style rather than Neoclassical. The building is set on a polygonal lot. It is 128 feet 10 inches (39.27 m) on the P Street (south) side, 64 feet 6 inches (19.66 m) on the curved Dupont Circle side (southwest), 164 feet 9 inches (50.22 m) on
2160-485: A speech denying the request, which was paraphrased on the front page of the New York Daily News as "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD." The Municipal Assistance Corporation was formed and granted oversight authority over the city's finances. While a resurgence in the financial industry greatly improved the city's economic health in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into
2280-540: A year; a house and property in Port Washington, New York ; property in North Dakota ; and a substantial amount of jewelry, paintings, furnishings, and family heirlooms. Felicia Gizycka challenged the will on September 13, 1948. Gizycka claimed it was not the last will signed by her mother, that Cissy was of unsound mind and under undue influence, and that the witnesses had not signed the will correctly. Over
2400-482: Is angled inward by two bays, with one of the bays behind the balustrade. It is reached via French doors which are framed by slit windows on either side. Pilasters decorated with candelabra are set between the four windows and the doors. A circular escutcheon framed with fruit-and-drapery swags tops each bay and the French doors, while fruit-and-drapery swags link the pilasters over the slit windows. The third floor balcony
2520-412: Is constructed of load-bearing brick walls. The lighting is electric, and the heating system is gravity-rise. The northwest wing was angled to align with Dupont Circle, while the rest of the house (south wing, center, northeast wing) was on a north–south axis perpendicular to P Street NW . The vestibule behind the loggia was on a northeast–southwest axis, and flanked on both sides by toilets—one of which
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#17328018859042640-447: Is designing the renovation and addition. The Ampeer Dupont Circle apartments opened in 2017. In 2020, Oakwood was appointed as management company; the following year, the property was rebranded as Oakwood Suites & Studios Dupont Circle Washington DC . The property includes 92 residential apartments fitted with kitchens and washer/dryers for long-term leasing and hotel accommodations suited for short and extended stays. It also includes
2760-469: Is much simpler than the first floor. Ceilings throughout the floor are 12-foot-4-inch (3.76 m) high. The main staircase led to a foyer with a wood parquet floor in a herringbone pattern . The walls were plaster panels, separated by fluted marble pilasters on wood pedestals. The ceiling is white plaster with decorative moldings. In the northwest corner was the library, accessed by double-panel wood doors with carved wood moldings around it. The flooring
2880-468: Is one of the world's most populous megacities . The city and its metropolitan area are the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In 2021, the city was home to nearly 3.1 million residents born outside the U.S., the largest foreign-born population of any city in
3000-417: Is reached through French doors (framed with slit windows) as well. It features a low balustrade of turned granite interrupted by pedestals, which are decorated with variegated marble panels. The placement of the pedestals mimics the pillars and pilasters below. The two bay windows on either side of the balcony feature the same torches, swag, putti, panels, and molding similar to the rest of the third floor. Above
3120-500: Is set back from the southwest corner, at an obtuse angle. It is a loggia one bay wide and 8 feet (2.4 m) deep. The Dupont Circle and P Street sides are both three bays wide and 39 feet (12 m) in length. The east wall is 83 feet (25 m) in length. The rest of the building consists of walls set at an obtuse angle, perpendicular, or parallel to an east–west axis. The foundations consist of concrete footings and slab. The first floor exterior wall consists of limestone quoins at
3240-614: The American South . During construction in Foley Square in the 1990s, the African Burying Ground was discovered; the cemetery included 10,000 to 20,000 graves of colonial-era Africans, some enslaved and some free. The 1735 trial and acquittal in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger , who had been accused of seditious libel after criticizing colonial governor William Cosby , helped to establish freedom of
3360-866: The Atlantic port to the agricultural markets and commodities of the North American interior via the Hudson River and the Great Lakes . Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall , a political machine supported by Irish and German immigrants . In 1831, New York University was founded. Several prominent American literary figures lived in New York during the 1830s and 1840s, including William Cullen Bryant , Washington Irving , Herman Melville , Rufus Wilmot Griswold , John Keese , Nathaniel Parker Willis , and Edgar Allan Poe . Members of
3480-668: The Bill of Rights there. The Supreme Court held its first organizational sessions in New York in 1790. In 1790, for the first time, New York City surpassed Philadelphia as the nation's largest city. At the end of 1790, the national capital was moved to Philadelphia . During the 19th century, New York City's population grew from 60,000 to 3.43 million. Under New York State's gradual emancipation act of 1799, children of slave mothers were to be eventually liberated but to be held in indentured servitude until their mid-to-late twenties. Together with slaves freed by their masters after
3600-597: The Black Hills of South Dakota . Mrs. Coolidge found the rooms, which slanted slightly due to the odd shape of the lot, cramped. She felt the house was far better designed when it came to entertaining. From June 10 to June 12, 1927, Charles Lindbergh was a guest of the Coolidges at the Patterson Mansion upon his triumphant return from France after his non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean piloting
3720-726: The Caribbean . The attempt at a peaceful solution to the war took place at the Conference House on Staten Island between American delegates, including Benjamin Franklin , and British general Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. Shortly after the British occupation began, the Great Fire of New York destroyed nearly 500 buildings, about a quarter of the structures in the city, including Trinity Church . In January 1785,
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3840-905: The Hudson River , which he named Río de San Antonio ('Saint Anthony's River'). In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York Harbor while searching for the Northwest Passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company . He sailed up what the Dutch called North River (now the Hudson River), named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange . Hudson claimed
3960-721: The Lower Hudson Valley . The first documented visit into New York Harbor by a European was in 1524 by explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano . He claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême ). A Spanish expedition, led by the Portuguese captain Estêvão Gomes sailing for Emperor Charles V , arrived in New York Harbor in January 1525 and charted the mouth of
4080-742: The New York City Fire Department and 71 law enforcement officers. The area was rebuilt with a new World Trade Center , the National September 11 Memorial and Museum , and other new buildings and infrastructure, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub , the city's third-largest hub. The new One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh-tallest building in
4200-547: The Patterson Mansion , a Neoclassical 30-room home on Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. , where he entertained many prominent people of the day. This biographical article about a print editor of the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . New York City New York , often called New York City or NYC , is the most populous city in the United States , located at
4320-511: The Statue of Liberty , a gift from France , was dedicated in New York Harbor. The statue welcomed 14 million immigrants as they came to the U.S. via Ellis Island by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is a symbol of the United States and American ideals of liberty and peace. In 1898, the City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city),
4440-709: The Stonewall riots were a series of violent protests by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village . They are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights . Wayne R. Dynes , author of the Encyclopedia of Homosexuality , wrote that drag queens were
4560-411: The laundry and storage closets, servants' entrance, kitchen , pantry , serving room, butler 's room, and servants' hall . A set of winder stairs behind the elevator serves as the servants' stairs. The first floor reception hall had white plaster walls and ceiling, carpeted floors, and a 6-inch (15 cm) high wooden baseboard . A fireplace existed in the west wall. The billiard was similar to
4680-612: The steamship General Slocum caught fire in the East River , killing 1,021 people. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire , the city's worst industrial disaster, killed 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards. New York's non-White population was 36,620 in 1890. New York City
4800-538: The 19th century, the city was transformed by both commercial and residential development relating to its status as a national and international trading center , as well as by European immigration, respectively. The city adopted the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , which expanded the city street grid to encompass almost all of Manhattan. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal through central New York connected
4920-705: The Continental Army at the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 eliminated the last American stronghold in Manhattan, causing George Washington and his forces to retreat across the Hudson River to New Jersey , pursued by British forces. After the battle, in which the Americans were defeated, the British made the city their military and political base of operations in North America. The city
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5040-545: The Countess Room, was renamed the "Dorothy Betts Marvin Room" in honor of Washington Club president Dorothy Marvin, wife of George Washington University president Cloyd H. Marvin . In 1956, the Washington Club constructed a two-story addition on the east side of the Patterson Mansion. The windows on the first and second floor on the east side were walled up, and three new doors cut on the first floor to provide access to
5160-575: The County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the New York City Subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication. In 1904,
5280-640: The Duke of York (the future King James II and VII). The duke gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley . On August 24, 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War , Anthony Colve of the Dutch navy seized New York at the behest of Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and rechristened it "New Orange" after William III , the Prince of Orange . The Dutch soon returned
5400-717: The Dutch West India Company had operated as a monopoly in New Netherland, on authority granted by the Dutch States General . In 1639–1640, in an effort to bolster economic growth, the Dutch West India Company relinquished its monopoly over the fur trade, leading to growth in the production and trade of food, timber, tobacco, and slaves (particularly with the Dutch West Indies ). In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant began his tenure as
5520-421: The French doors is a large oval escutcheon with fruit-and-drapery swag which mimics the escutcheon over the doors to the loggia. A standing putto over each slit window supports the swag. All exterior walls are faced with white marble over stone. All windows are double-hung . The first floor windows feature black wrought iron grillwork. The fourth floor windows have no decorative exterior elements. The interior
5640-405: The New York metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan economy in the world , with a gross metropolitan product of over US$ 2.16 trillion. If the New York metropolitan area were its own country , it would have the tenth-largest economy in the world . Despite having a 24/7 rapid transit system , New York also leads the world in urban automobile traffic congestion . The city is home to
5760-716: The Revolutionary War and escaped slaves, a significant free-Black population gradually developed in Manhattan. The New York Manumission Society worked for abolition and established the African Free School to educate Black children. It was not until 1827 that slavery was completely abolished in the state . Free Blacks struggled with discrimination and interracial abolitionist activism continued. New York City's population jumped from 123,706 in 1820 (10,886 of whom were Black and of which 518 were enslaved) to 312,710 by 1840 (16,358 of whom were Black). Also in
5880-443: The addition. Two doors were cut on the second floor. A butler's pantry, kitchen prep area, toilet, elevator entrance hall, and banquet hall were built on the ground floor. Stairwells were added on the four corners of the addition. A reception room and small toilet were constructed on the south end of the second of the addition, while a large auditorium occupied the central section. A stage, dressing rooms, and storage area were built on
6000-446: The aircraft Spirit of St. Louis . Lindbergh's mother, Evangeline Lodge Land Lindbergh, also stayed in the mansion during this time. The house was besieged by crowds every day he spent in the nation's capital. On June 11, Lindbergh appeared three times at the second floor balcony to wave and briefly speak to the crowd. Some of the most iconic photos of Lindbergh were taken during his balcony appearances. After Cissy Patterson reoccupied
6120-622: The arts and fashion , and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations , international diplomacy . With an estimated population in 2023 of 8,258,035 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km ), the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles , the nation's second-most populous city. With more than 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City
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#17328018859046240-659: The assembly of the Congress of the Confederation made New York City the national capital. New York was the last capital of the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the Constitution of the United States . As the U.S. capital, New York City hosted the inauguration of the first President, George Washington , and the first Congress , at Federal Hall on Wall Street . Congress drafted
6360-485: The attic of the north wing of the house caught fire. Although the house suffered fire and water damage, it was repaired and the entire structure house completed by January 1903. The final cost of construction was $ 200,000 ($ 6,782,222 in 2023 dollars). The Pattersons moved into the home in January 1903. They held the first party to which large members of the public were invited in February 1904, when Nellie Patterson hosted
6480-548: The beginning of the 1990s. By the mid-1990s, crime rates started to drop dramatically due to revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification , and new residents, both American transplants and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. New York City's population exceeded 8 million for the first time in the 2000 United States census ; further records were set in 2010 , and 2020 U.S. censuses. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley , emerged in
6600-407: The building and its furnishings up for sale in November 1949 with a $ 700,000 asking price ($ 8,963,916 in 2023 dollars). The property lingered on the market until the Washington Club, a private women's club , bought the Patterson Mansion on January 11, 1951. The purchase price was not immediately disclosed, but later was discovered to be just $ 450,000 ($ 5,282,308 in 2023 dollars). After a title search
6720-587: The business elite lobbied for the establishment of Central Park , which in 1857 became the first landscaped park in an American city. The Great Irish Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants, of whom more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, representing over a quarter of the city's population. Extensive immigration from the German provinces meant that Germans comprised another 25% of New York's population by 1860. Democratic Party candidates were consistently elected to local office, increasing
6840-613: The city from New Jersey. The East River—a tidal strait —flows from Long Island Sound and separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River , another tidal strait between the East and Hudson rivers, separates most of Manhattan from the Bronx. The Bronx River , which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County , is the only entirely freshwater river in the city. The city's land has been altered substantially by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along
6960-439: The city rapidly replaced Wuhan , China as the global epicenter of the pandemic during the early phase, straining the city's healthcare infrastructure. Through March 2023, New York City recorded more than 80,000 deaths from COVID-19-related complications. New York City is situated in the northeastern United States , in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston . Its location at
7080-447: The city's economy. The advent of Y2K was celebrated with fanfare in Times Square . New York City suffered the bulk of the economic damage and largest loss of human life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks . Two of the four airliners hijacked that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, resulting in the collapse of both buildings and the deaths of 2,753 people, including 343 first responders from
7200-615: The city's ties to the South and its dominant party. In 1861, Mayor Fernando Wood called on the aldermen to declare independence from Albany and the United States after the South seceded, but his proposal was not acted on. Anger at new military conscription laws during the American Civil War (1861–1865), which spared wealthier men who could afford to hire a substitute, led to the Draft Riots of 1863 , whose most visible participants were ethnic Irish working class. The draft riots deteriorated into attacks on New York's elite, followed by attacks on Black New Yorkers after fierce competition for
7320-437: The corner and stone coursing . A string course with Greek decorative carving is set between the first and second floors, and acts as the window sill for the second floor windows and as the balustrade for the entrance loggia. The second and third floor exterior walls have stone quoins as well. Between each window on the second floor is a panel inlaid with variegated marble and surrounded by egg-and-dart moldings. The base of
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#17328018859047440-417: The development of large housing tracts in eastern Queens and Nassau County , with Wall Street leading America's place as the world's dominant economic power. The United Nations headquarters was completed in 1952, solidifying New York's global geopolitical influence, and the rise of abstract expressionism in the city precipitated New York's displacement of Paris as the center of the art world. In 1969,
7560-418: The early 18th century, New York grew in importance as a trading port while as a part of the colony of New York . It became a center of slavery , with 42% of households enslaving Africans by 1730. Most were domestic slaves ; others were hired out as labor. Slavery became integrally tied to New York's economy through the labor of slaves throughout the port, and the banking and shipping industries trading with
7680-492: The east wall of the pantry removed to provide access to the addition. On the second floor, new doors were cut from the butler's pantry and south of the fireplace in the ballroom. Another door was cut in the north wall near the northeastern corner to provide access to a new exterior concrete fire escape stairs. A dining room and foyer were constructed on the first floor of the addition, and a meeting room and reception room on second floor. The Washington Club did not, however, alter
7800-439: The electrical power switched to AC from DC . The Washington Club also made many changes to the house. Renovations included adding new doors, removing old doors to create portals, and new wiring, plumbing, plastering, and carpeting. In order to allow club members to use the upper bedrooms as private apartments, the staircase from the second floor foyer to the third floor was partitioned off. An exterior concrete stair leading from
7920-432: The entire north wing. It was accessed via the foyer through glass doors. The ballroom ceiling was plaster. Its flooring was oak parquetry in a herringbone pattern with plaster walls, a 6 inches (15 cm) wooden baseboard, and a dado rail at 3 feet (0.91 m). Flanking the doors, chimney, and windows and in the corners of the room were marble pilasters on wooden pedestals. The west wall was bowed westward, to accommodate
8040-402: The entrance loggia is topped by a fruit-and-swag draped escutcheon. Smooth, variegated marble double-columns, topped by composite capitals , stand above the architrave. The entrance originally featured French doors , but were replaced by black enameled doors decorative by bas-relief wreaths. The second-floor balcony is framed on either end by pilasters decorated with candelabra . Each wall
8160-401: The former conservatory to the ground floor (for use as a fire escape) was also added. The garage was partitioned, an elevator added just inside the garage doors, and toilets added against the shared wall with the first floor billiard room (which now became the library). The first floor servants' hall was partitioned as well to create an office and corridor. The second floor library was turned into
8280-461: The former territory of New Netherland , including the city of New Amsterdam , when the Kingdom of England seized it from Dutch control. In the pre-Columbian era , the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by Algonquians , including the Lenape . Their homeland, known as Lenapehoking , included the present-day areas of Staten Island , Manhattan , the Bronx , the western portion of Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens ), and
8400-436: The historic character of the mansion. Consequently, French Quarter pulled out of the deal in December. In February 2014, real estate developer SB-Urban agreed to buy the Patterson Mansion if the city approved its plan to subdivide the structure into "micro-unit" apartments (units 400 square feet (37 m) or smaller). The building's ballrooms and other spaces would become common areas. SB-Urban said it, too, wanted to tear down
8520-410: The ice (and its subsequent retreat) contributed to the separation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. That action left bedrock at a relatively shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers. The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay . Between New York City and Troy, New York , the river is an estuary . The Hudson River separates
8640-677: The island to England under the Treaty of Westminster of November 1674. Several intertribal wars among the Native Americans and epidemics brought on by contact with the Europeans caused sizeable population losses for the Lenape between 1660 and 1670. By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200. New York experienced several yellow fever epidemics in the 18th century, losing ten percent of its population in 1702 alone. In
8760-671: The last Director-General of New Netherland. During his tenure, the population of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000. Stuyvesant has been credited with improving law and order; however, he earned a reputation as a despotic leader. He instituted regulations on liquor sales, attempted to assert control over the Dutch Reformed Church , and blocked other religious groups from establishing houses of worship. In 1664, unable to summon any significant resistance, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to English troops, led by Colonel Richard Nicolls , without bloodshed. The terms of
8880-545: The local population as a representative of the Dutch colonists. A permanent European presence near New York Harbor was established in 1624, making New York the 12th-oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States , with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island . In 1625, construction was started on a citadel and Fort Amsterdam , later called Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam), on present-day Manhattan Island. The colony of New Amsterdam extended from
9000-542: The main marble staircase, its wrought iron balustrade with red velvet banister, or the fountain on intermediate landing between the first and second floors. Robert Wilson Patterson Robert Wilson Patterson (1850–1910) was an American newspaper editor and publisher . He was born in Chicago , attended Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, and graduated from Williams College in 1871, and then began
9120-401: The main stairs was a shaft, allowing the skylight to shine down to the first floor, and another butler's pantry. A dining room occupied the south part of the second floor. Its flooring consisted of 6 by 6 inches (15 by 15 cm) square flame maple wood parquetry, with a 5.5 inches (14 cm) wooden baseboard, and a dado rail at 3 feet (0.91 m). Its walls and ceiling were plaster, with
9240-635: The mansion full-time in 1929, it became a center of social life in Washington, D.C. The home was decorated in Patterson's unique style. This included the heads and pelts of 13 big-game animals (deer, moose, mountain lion, and mountain goat, and others) hanging on the walls of the main staircase. The ballroom was decorated in the Louis Quinze style, with a life-size portrait of Nellie Patterson and furniture in blue, pink, and white colors. The walls of
9360-507: The mansion little in the years afterward. The Patterson Mansion was the home of President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, Grace Coolidge in 1927. The White House needed extensive renovation which rendered it unliveable while construction occurred. In February 1927, Cissy Patterson offered them the use of her empty home. The Coolidges stayed in the house from March 4, 1927, to June 13, 1927, after which they left for an extended vacation in
9480-419: The most populous urbanized area in the world in the early 1920s, overtaking London . The metropolitan area surpassed 10 million in the early 1930s, becoming the first megacity . The Great Depression saw the election of reformer Fiorello La Guardia as mayor and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance. Returning World War II veterans created a post-war economic boom and
9600-493: The mouth of the Hudson River , which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean , has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island. During the Wisconsin glaciation , 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet . The erosive forward movement of
9720-446: The move, which would have preserved the original floor plan and opened up much of the historic mansion to the public. The District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board ruled on November 9, 2013, that the original mansion was historic, but declined to give historic protection to the 1956 addition, removing a major obstacle to its demolition. But the board denied approval for the proposed six-story addition, saying it would destroy
9840-510: The next few months, the case took a number of twists and turns, including the suicide of a former beneficiary, an alleged break-in at the Gizycka home, and a number of accusations made by both sides in the dispute. Seven previous wills and two current codicils were discovered. The existence of so many other wills (all of which pre-dated the 1946 will), none of which substantially benefitted Felicia Gizycka, led to extensive legal maneuvers. A trial
9960-436: The non-historic addition. It proposed a seven-story new addition as well, but its addition would have uniform floors and be distant enough from the mansion that there would a "visual separation" from it. The Historic Preservation Review Board approved SB-Urban's design for an eight-story addition in late February 2014 after finding that revised designs provided enough visual distinction with the existing building. SB-Urban obtained
10080-509: The north end of the second floor. In the summer of 2013, the Washington Club put the Patterson Mansion up for sale, asking $ 26 million. John Matteo, the club's attorney at Jackson & Campbell, said the club was disbanding and no longer needed the space. French Quarter Hospitality agreed to purchase the property on October 20, 2013, provided it won approval for renovation and expansion of the property from relevant local government authorities. French Quarter hired Studio 3877 Architects to design
10200-431: The north side of E Street NW between 20th and 21st Streets for a new District of Columbia Chapter headquarters. The national organization had already committed $ 700,000 to build this structure. The Red Cross decided to sell the mansion instead. It opened the house to the public in April 1949 to build public interest in a forthcoming auction of the home's many furnishings. The auction raised little interest. The Red Cross put
10320-409: The northwest side, and 132 feet 9 inches (40.46 m) on the east side. The building faces southwest, and a semi-elliptical concrete driveway connects P Street and Dupont Circle to provide access to the main entrance. The driveway creates a small forecourt . The building is four stories high, with a basement. It is 60 feet (18 m) high from sidewalk to roof ridgeline. The main entrance
10440-445: The only " transgender folks around" during the June 1969 Stonewall riots. The transgender community in New York City played a significant role in fighting for LGBT equality. In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. Growing fiscal deficits in 1975 led the city to appeal to the federal government for financial aid; President Gerald Ford gave
10560-405: The orchestra balcony as it projected into the room. The room was lit by 10 brass wall sconces with three upward curving torch-arms. Hanging from the ceiling were three, 12-light crystal chandeliers with three hidden tiers. The fireplace in the east wall featured a cast iron firebox, framed by marble pilasters. It had a marble mantel, and a mirror overmantel in an 18th-century English style. Behind
10680-440: The panel is decorated with scrollwork, and the top by a bas-relief urn. Five fruit-shaped clusters decorate the outside frame of the furthermost window on this floor (the lowest cluster supported by a tiny putto ), while above each window is a false pediment topped by an escutcheon flanked by drapery. Variegated marble panels are set between each window on the third floor as well, the bottom of each decorated with scrollwork and
10800-675: The press in North America . In 1754, Columbia University was founded. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765, as the Sons of Liberty organization emerged in the city and skirmished over the next ten years with British troops stationed there. The Battle of Long Island , the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War , was fought in August 1776 within modern-day Brooklyn. A British rout of
10920-472: The property to Cissy that same year. Although Cissy formally took up residence there in 1923, she spent most of her time elsewhere. The house was barely occupied from 1923 to 1929, as the Pearsons left for Asia in 1925 and never returned to the home. Cissy Patterson's divorce from her first husband, Count Josef Gizycki, was finalized in 1917. She married New York City lawyer Elmer Schlesinger in 1925, but used
11040-689: The provisions of the will donating the Patterson Mansion and its contents to the Red Cross, but did allow the will to be probated and the deed transferred. The Red Cross, however, had no use for the Patterson Mansion. The organization had a magnificent structure, the Neoclassical American Red Cross National Headquarters at 430 17th Street NW (completed in 1917), which served as its national headquarters. Furthermore, on July 1, 1947, Congress enacted legislation (P.L. 100-637) donating federal land along
11160-459: The reception hall, although it featured a dado rail 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m) off the floor. Its walls were wood paneling (into which built-in bookcases were added after 1951). It featured a chimney in the south wall. This fireplace was much plainer than those in the rest of the house, and its mantel consisted of a sand-cast concrete mantel in the Georgian style. The mainstaircase
11280-539: The region for the Dutch East India Company. In 1614, the area between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay was claimed by the Netherlands and called Nieuw-Nederland (' New Netherland '). The first non–Native American inhabitant of what became New York City was Juan Rodriguez , a merchant from Santo Domingo who arrived in Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14, trapping for pelts and trading with
11400-483: The second and third floors. Each suite consisted of a bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom. There were three suites on the third floor, and one on the fourth floor. The building has undergone modest internal changes since its construction. Almost all previous owners have made changes. In 1927, the Washington Post reported that the house had 30 rooms and 10 bathrooms. This does not appear to have changed by
11520-438: The second floor dining room were painted a deep red, and the furniture was mahogany. The second floor library was lined with bookcases and decorated with Chinese artwork. In front of each bedroom suite fireplace on the third and fourth floors were an animal skin rug. The second floor bedroom suite in the northeast corner of the house was painted in red. Cissy Patterson originally willed the house to her daughter, Felicia. But after
11640-457: The sill for the fourth floor windows. The truncated hipped roof slightly overhangs the walls. The cornice is decorated with dentils and acanthus carvings beneath the roofline. The roof, originally red tile, was changed at some point to asbestos roof shingles with copper flashing . There are seven chimneys on the roof, and about five skylights on the flat section. The entrance is reached by three limestone steps. The architrave of
11760-632: The southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors . The city comprises five boroughs , each coextensive with a respective county . The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area . New York is a global center of finance and commerce , culture , technology , entertainment and media , academics and scientific output ,
11880-611: The southern tip of Manhattan to modern-day Wall Street , where a 12-foot (3.7 m) wooden stockade was built in 1653 to protect against Native American and English raids. In 1626, the Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit , as charged by the Dutch West India Company , purchased the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie , a small Lenape band, for "the value of 60 guilders " (about $ 900 in 2018). A frequently told but disproved legend claims that Manhattan
12000-651: The study of law. After the great fire in Chicago he became a reporter on the Times , later joined the staff of the Interior , and in 1873 became connected with the Chicago Tribune , of which he was successively assistant night editor, Washington correspondent, editorial writer, managing editor, and editor in chief. He was also president of the Chicago Tribune Company. Patterson lived in
12120-507: The surrender permitted Dutch residents to remain in the colony and allowed for religious freedom. In 1667, during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Breda after the Second Anglo-Dutch War , the victorious Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of what is now Suriname , which they had gained from the English, and in return the English kept New Amsterdam. The settlement was promptly renamed "New York" after
12240-511: The time of Cissy Patterson's death, as there were still 40 rooms in 1948. Although the northeast room on the first floor was originally a billiard room, by 1927 Cissy Patterson had changed it into a small library. Cissy Patterson's changes also include extending the wine cellar outward beneath the driveway by a distance of 10 feet (3.0 m) in 1917. In March 1935, she hired the Otis Elevator Company to install an elevator and had
12360-597: The world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m), a reference to the year of U.S. independence . The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan began on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and popularizing the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. New York City
12480-493: The world's two largest stock exchanges by market capitalization of their listed companies: the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq . New York City is an established safe haven for global investors. As of 2023 , New York City is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates and has by a wide margin the highest U.S. city residential rents; and Fifth Avenue is the most expensive shopping street in
12600-525: The world. New York City traces its origins to Fort Amsterdam and a trading post founded on Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists around 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. The city came under English control in 1664 and was temporarily renamed New York after King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York , before being permanently renamed New York in November 1674. New York City
12720-402: The world. New York City is home by a significant margin to the highest number of billionaires , individuals of ultra-high net worth (greater than US$ 30 million), and millionaires of any city in the world. In 1664, New York was named in honor of the Duke of York (later King James II of England ). James's elder brother, King Charles II , appointed the Duke as proprietor of
12840-414: The years, preferring her long-time home in Chicago. She became morbidly obese, then suffered a heart attack and lost weight. In September 1922, Cissy Patterson (herself spending more time at her other homes and abroad) allowed her daughter, Felicia, and her new husband, Drew Pearson , to take up residence in the mansion. Nellie Patterson vacated 15 Dupont Circle for good in 1923, never to return, and deeded
12960-566: Was heavily affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Sandy's impacts included flooding that led to the days-long shutdown of the subway system and flooding of all East River subway tunnels and of all road tunnels entering Manhattan except the Lincoln Tunnel . The New York Stock Exchange closed for two days due to weather for the first time since the Great Blizzard of 1888 . At least 43 people died in New York City as
13080-535: Was a haven for Loyalist refugees and escaped slaves who joined the British lines for freedom promised by the Crown , with as many as 10,000 escaped slaves crowded into the city during the British occupation, the largest such community on the continent. When the British forces evacuated New York at the close of the war in 1783, they transported thousands of freedmen for resettlement in Nova Scotia , England, and
13200-539: Was a prime destination in the early 20th century for Blacks during the Great Migration from the American South, and by 1916, New York City had the largest urban African diaspora in North America. The Harlem Renaissance of literary and cultural life flourished during the era of Prohibition . The larger economic boom generated construction of skyscrapers competing in height. New York City became
13320-413: Was a set of plain marble stairs with an intermediate landing and single turn which lead to the third floor. Behind the steps was a conservatory with a bay window facing northwest. From the intermediate landing, a door in the northeast wall gave out onto an orchestra balcony overlooking the ballroom. The base of the balcony is decorated with corbels , plaster drapery, and guttae . The ballroom occupied
13440-402: Was accessible by the billiard room to the northwest and the other by the reception hall to the southeast. The entrance hall was floored with polished terrazzo bordered by white marble. The ceiling was white plaster , and the walls were white plaster with a 6-inch (15 cm) high wooden baseboard . The billiard room was access by a door in the west wall, and in the north-northwest corner was
13560-808: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 5, 1972, and is one of two remaining mansions on Dupont Circle, the other being the Wadsworth House . It is a contributing property to both the Dupont Circle Historic District (added to the National Register in 1978) and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District (added to the National Register in 1974). The traffic circle that became Dupont Circle
13680-522: Was completed, the deed transferred on March 1, 1951. Included among the furnishings in the home were several Gobelins , Flemish , and French tapestries and a large amount of period furniture. After some renovations to bring the structure in line with current fire codes , the Washington Club occupied the building on November 8, 1951. The club rented out the second and third floor bedrooms and their associated suites of rooms to club members. The third reception room, once Felicia Gizycka's bedroom and known as
13800-503: Was first envisioned in 1791 by the L'Enfant Plan that established the route of Massachusetts Avenue NW . Much of the street passed through marshy areas that restricted development, including the area around Dupont Circle. After the American Civil War , several large mansions were built around the circle, where much of the area was still forested and afforded privacy. Major development began around Dupont Circle in 1871, when
13920-425: Was flanked by smooth, variegated marble columns in antis . Ten marble steps lead up to a landing. In the east wall of the intermediate landing is a fountain . The stairs diverge at the intermediate landing, with nine more steps on the north and south leading to the second floor landing. The stringer, risers, and treads are all made of marble. The banister is of cast iron in a rinceau and cartouche pattern, with
14040-415: Was purchased for $ 24 worth of glass beads. Following the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly. To attract settlers, the Dutch instituted the patroon system in 1628, whereby wealthy Dutchmen ( patroons , or patrons) who brought 50 colonists to New Netherland would be awarded land, local political autonomy, and rights to participate in the lucrative fur trade. This program had little success. Since 1621,
14160-482: Was set for January 18, 1949, and then moved to February 9. On January 28, 1949, a settlement in the case was reached by the parties. Under the new agreement, Felicia Gizycka received $ 400,000 from the estate (with the heavy state and federal inheritance and income taxes paid by the estate), along with the New York and North Dakota properties. In return, she gave up the right to inherit personal property, which would be used to help pay taxes. The settlement did not disturb
14280-410: Was similar to that of the foyer, and the ceiling of plaster. The walls were plaster, with a 7.5 inches (19 cm) wooden baseboard and a dado rail at 3 feet (0.91 m). The room was originally lined with bookcases. A fireplace with marble hearth and mantel, surrounded by exquisite marble and plaster moldings, was in the northwest wall. In the foyer, to the right of the door leading to the library,
14400-417: Was the U.S. capital from 1785 until 1790. The modern city was formed by the 1898 consolidation of its five boroughs : Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , the Bronx , and Staten Island . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District, Manhattan , New York City has been called both the world's premier financial and fintech center and the most economically powerful city in the world. As of 2022 ,
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