Blair House
National Historic Landmark

Blair House

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
66000963

About this property

Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used as a state guest house to host visiting dignitaries and other guests of the president. Parts of the historic complex have been used for an official residence since the 1940s. Located diagonally across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, it is a complex of four formerly separate homes, Blair House, Lee House, Peter Parker House, and 704 Jackson Place. Major renovations of these 19th-century residences between the 1950s and 1980s joined the homes together. It now has 14 guest bedrooms and at 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) is larger than the Executive Residence of the White House. Blair House is one of several residences owned by the United States government for use by the president and vice president of the United States; other such residences include the White House, Camp David, One Observatory Circle, the Presidential Townhouse, and Trowbridge House. President Harry S. Truman and his family lived in the original Blair House from late November 1948 to March 27, 1952, during the White House Reconstruction. Truman survived a 1950 assassination attempt at Blair House. It is one of only seven houses to serve as the presidential residence in the history of the United States, and one of only three along with the White House and The Octagon House that still stand.

Location

1651 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.89880, -77.03870

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Industrial
0 mi
Renwick Museum
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American Peace Society
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0.1 mi
Executive Office Building
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0.1 mi
Decatur House
Early Republic
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blair House listed on the National Register?

Blair House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Blair House?

Blair House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Blair House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Blair House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Blair House?

The period of significance for Blair House is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Blair House?

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