Wheat Row
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Wheat Row
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Looking northwest at Wheat Row in 2008
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| Location | 1315, 1317, 1319, and 1321 4th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. |
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| Coordinates | 38°52′26″N 77°1′5″W / 38.87389°N 77.01806°WCoordinates: 38°52′26″N 77°1′5″W / 38.87389°N 77.01806°W |
| Built | 1794-1795 |
| Architect | William Lovering (attributed) |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian |
| NRHP Reference # | 73002125 |
| Added to NRHP | July 23, 1973 |
Wheat Row is a row of four Late Georgian style townhouses located at 1315, 1317, 1319, and 1321 4th Street SW in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Begun in 1794 and completed in 1795, the structures are some of the oldest residential homes in the District of Columbia. They served several uses in the early and mid 20th century, but were integrated into the Harbour Square apartment cooperative in 1963. Wheat Row was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 1973.
The Residence Act of 1790, which established the site for the capital of the United States, provided for the appointment of three commissioners by the President (and without the need for Senate confirmation) to govern the District of Columbia, survey its land, purchase property from private landowners, and construct federal buildings.James Greenleaf was a land speculator who arrived in the city on September 17, 1793. On either September 23, 1793, or December 24, 1793, Greenleaf purchased from the D.C. commissioners the land on which Wheat Row would be built. By the start of 1794, Greenleaf owned half the federal government's salable land in the District of Columbia.
Greenleaf began construction on the four townhouses which became Wheat Row in 1794. The builder was James Clark. Sources differ on the architect. Historian Bob Arnebeck argues it was Clark, but most sources attribute Wheat Row to the important local architect William Lovering.
Wheat Row was the first example in the District of Columbia of the terraced house (also known as the row house or townhouse). According to the National Capital Planning Commission, they are probably the first houses built after the District of Columbia was chosen as the seat of the federal government. The Thomas Law House and Duncanson-Cranch House, both nearby, were erected at about the same time by Greenleaf and his partners.
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