1099 14th Street

1099 14th Street NW
Looking north-northeast at 1099 14th Street NW (also known as Franklin Court) in 2010
General information
Type	Office
Location	Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates	38°54′12″N 77°01′54″W / 38.903441°N 77.031719°W / 38.903441; -77.031719Coordinates: 38°54′12″N 77°01′54″W / 38.903441°N 77.031719°W / 38.903441; -77.031719
Completed	1992
Management	Lincoln Property Company
Height
Roof	155.60 feet (47.43 m)
Technical details
Floor count	15
Floor area	450,000 square feet (42,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Arthur May, Kohn Pedersen Fox
Developer	Chubb Realty, Evans Partnership, and Australian Capital Equity

1099 14th Street NW, also known as Franklin Court, is a high-rise Postmodern office building located in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Constructed in 1992 as part of the redevelopment of the Franklin Square area from a red-light district to an area of office buildings, it is a Class A office building with 11 stories aboveground, four below, and a mezzanine. Its tower, when built, was the highest in the city.

After the American Civil War, 14th Street NW became a fashionable residential district. By the 1930s, numerous retail shops and trendy nightclubs ringed Franklin Square and lined 14th Street. In the 1950s, 14th Street NW between H Street NW and Thomas Circle was a high-class entertainment district. A large number of nightclubs lined the street, and some of the top entertainers in the nation performed in them.

Beginning in the 1960s, adult bookstores and peep shows began appearing along the street. The 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. riots caused many businesses to flee the area. By the 1970s, encouraged by city zoning laws, 14th Street had become a red-light district 10 blocks long.Prostitution and the illegal drug trade (including the overt sale and use of illegal drugs) was common along the street. Known as "the Strip", this red-light district was nationally known and the very large number of prostitutes was something of a tourist attraction. Among the more notable establishments along the Strip were Adam & Eve, Benny's Home of the Porno Stars, The Butterfly, Californian Steak House, Casino Royal, The Cocoon, This Is It?, and the Pink Pussy. Numerous barkers stood in the street, soliciting business for the adult businesses. A large number of lounges and tourist homes also existed along the Strip, and prostitutes (male and female; gendered, transvestite, and transgender; straight and gay) used these locations for prostitution.