National Register of Historic Places

Friendship House-The Maples

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
January 18, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73002086

About this property

Friendship House (also known as The Maples, Maple Square, or Duncanson House) is a Georgian townhouse, located at 619 D Street, (630 South Carolina Avenue), Southeast, Washington, D.C., in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The first owner of the home was William Mayne Duncanson, whose house guests included George Washington. In August 1814, it served as a hospital after the Battle of Bladensburg. In 1815, it was purchased from bankruptcy, by Francis Scott Key. In July 1838, it was purchased by Major Augustus A. Nicholson. On June 2, 1856, it was purchased by John M. Clayton. He added a ballroom with decoration by Constantino Brumidi. On April 20, 1858, it was purchased by Louis François de Pourtalès; there are rumors of his winecellar. In 1871, it was purchased by journalist Mrs. Emily Edson Briggs; she named it "Maple Square." The Friendship House Association, founded in 1904, purchased the house in 1936, and operated a settlement house, and community center there. As the Capitol Hill neighborhood gentrified, most of the people served were in other parts of Washington, D.C. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1973. The property was sold in 2010, to a private developer. National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia Media related to Friendship House (Washington, D.C.) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

619 D St., SE., or 630 South Carolina Ave., SE.
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.88399, -76.99764

Categories

ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Southeast Branch Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Christ Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Eastern Market
Civil War
0.2 mi
Old Naval Hospital
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
U.S. Marine Corps Barracks and Commandant's House
Early Republic
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Friendship House-The Maples listed on the National Register?

Friendship House-The Maples was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Friendship House-The Maples?

Friendship House-The Maples is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Friendship House-The Maples?

The period of significance for Friendship House-The Maples is recorded as the industrial era.

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