National Historic Landmark

White, David, House

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
January 7, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76002133

About this property

The David White House is a historic house at 1459 Girard Street NW in Washington, D.C. A National Historic Landmark, it was the home of geologist David White (1862–1935) from 1910 to 1925. White had a longtime association with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and performed groundbreaking research on peat and petroleum geology. The David White House is located in Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood, on the north side of Girard Street between 14th and 15th Streets. It is one of three turreted buildings a row of 19th century rowhouses that line the block. The three-story house has a facade consisting of Roman brick with greystone trim, round turreted bay, and mansard roof and is one of a row of three designed in 1902 by distinguished architect C.L. Harding and built by T.A. Harding. NHL designation and NR listing January 7, 1976, DC listing March 3, 1979. David White was a native of New York and was educated in geology at Cornell University. After graduation he took a job with the USGS, and made Washington his home from 1886 until his death. Of the places he lived in the city, this house was his home for the longest period. During his lifelong career there, he became an acknowledged expert on the stratigraphy of the Paleozoic era, and performed research identifying the links between paleobotany and the formation of coal deposits. Uniquely among researchers of the period, he performed much of his field work personally instead of hiring it out. His achievement awards include the Thomson Medal and the Walcott Medal. List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C. National Register of Historic Places listings in the upper NW Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Media related to David White House at Wikimedia Commons

Location

1459 Girard St., NW
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.92562, -77.03470

Categories

SCIENCE
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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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

All Souls Church, Unitarian
Colonial
0.1 mi
Embassy of Mexico-MacVeagh House
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0.1 mi
Warder-Totten House
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0.1 mi
Pink Palace
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0.2 mi
Trinity Towers
Civil War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was White, David, House listed on the National Register?

White, David, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1976.

What type of historic resource is White, David, House?

White, David, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is White, David, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. White, David, 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 White, David, House?

The period of significance for White, David, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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