Meridian House
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Meridian House
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Meridian House in summer, 2008
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| Location | 1630 Crescent Pl. NW Washington, D.C. |
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| Coordinates | 38°55′12.72″N 77°2′17.52″W / 38.9202000°N 77.0382000°WCoordinates: 38°55′12.72″N 77°2′17.52″W / 38.9202000°N 77.0382000°W |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | John Russell Pope |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP Reference # | 73002101 |
| Added to NRHP | May 8, 1973 |
The Meridian House is located at 1630 Crescent Place in Washington, D.C., a mile and a half from the White House. It was designed by American architect John Russell Pope and built in 1920 for Ambassador Irwin Boyle Laughlin, who filled it with his extensive collection of French paintings and Oriental porcelain. It stayed in Laughlin family until 1960 when it was purchased by the non-profit Meridian International Center.
Meridian House was built by American Ambassador Irwin Boyle Laughlin. He purchased the land in 1912, two years after his friend Henry White bought the adjacent site. 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 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. 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 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 Chanler, Irwing Laghlin daughter, 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 the house with their own children.
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