The Thomas T. Gaff House is the residence of the Colombian ambassador to the United States, a post currently held by Carolina Barco. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Carolina Barco Isakson (born 1951 in Boston Massachusetts, United States) is Colombia 's ambassador to the United States [1][2] The house, part of the Dupont Circle Historic District, is located at 1520 20th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., across from the north entrance to the metro station in Dupont Circle and one block from Massachusetts Avenue's Embassy Row. Dupont Circle is a Traffic circle, Neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington D Northwest (also written as NW or NW) is the northwestern quadrant of Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Dupont Circle is a Washington Metro station in Washington DC, on the Red Line. Dupont Circle is a Traffic circle, Neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington D Massachusetts Avenue, abbreviated Mass Ave, is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington D This article is about Embassy Row in Washington DC See Embassy Row (disambiguation for additional uses [2] Throughout its history the house has been home to a wealthy industrialist from Ohio, a United States Senator, a member of the United States President's Cabinet, a Greek ambassador, and a former President of Colombia. A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a mogul, tycoon, baron, or industrialist, is a person who has reached a prominent place in Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία List of Presidents of Colombia The President of Colombia (Presidente de Colombia is the Head of state and Head of government of the Republic of Colombia [2][3] Architecture of the Thomas T. Gaff House was inspired by the Château Balleroy in Normandy, France and features a hidden ballroom and a mix of 18th- and 19th-century interior designs. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. [4]
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History
Thomas T. Gaff was a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in the distillery and heavy machinery business in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads [2] His childhood home, Hillforest, in Aurora, Indiana is a National Historic Landmark. The Hillforest Mansion also known as Thomas Gaff House, is located at 213 Fifth Street in Aurora, Indiana. Aurora is a city in Lawrenceburg and Center townships Dearborn County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the [5] After Gaff was appointed as a commissoner to the Panama Canal's construction by then-United States Secretary of War William Howard Taft, he and his wife Zaidee moved to Washington, D. The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice C. The Gaffs chose New York City-based architectural firm Price and de Sibour to design their home at the corner of 20th and Q Streets NW. The City of New York [6] Jules Henri de Sibour was a prominent architect of large homes in Washington, D. C. , including the Clarence Moore House, Andrew Mellon Building, and the ambassador residences of Portugal, France, and Luxembourg. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington DC, also known as the Clarence Moore House and the Old Canadian Embassy, is the Diplomatic mission of the McCormick Apartments, also known as Andrew Mellon Building, Mellon Apartment, or 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, was a residence of Andrew W Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by [2] Construction of the house lasted from 1904 to 1905. [7]
The Gaff House was well known in Washington, D. C. 's high society; tea parties and other events were mentioned in The New York Times. [8] From 1924 to 1925, the house was leased to Peter Goelet Gerry, a Senator from Rhode Island. Peter Goelet Gerry ( September 18, 1879 &ndash October 31, 1957) was an American lawyer and politician. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States [6] After Gerry moved to a new home, the Gaff house was leased to Dwight F. Davis, President Calvin Coolidge's Secretary of War and founder of the Davis Cup. Dwight Filley Davis ( July 5, 1879 &ndash November 28, 1945) was an American Tennis player and Politician. John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929 The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's Tennis. [2] The government of Greece leased the home in 1929 for use as an embassy. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In 1944, the Gaff house was sold to Colombia by Carey D. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Langhorne, Thomas T. Gaff's daughter. The home has since been used as the official residence of the Colombian ambassador to the United States. [2] The official Embassy of Colombia to the United States is located a few blocks north of the Gaff House, in the Kalorama neighborhood. The Colombian Embassy in Washington DC is the Embassy of Colombia to the United States. [9] Notable ambassadors who have resided in the Gaff house include former President of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana. Andrés Pastrana Arango (born August 17, 1954) was the President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002 following in the footsteps of his father [3]
Architecture
The exterior architecture of the Thomas T. Gaff House is an example of a 17th-century Châteauesque manor,[10][2] but only two rooms in the house follow French style. Châteauesque is an architectural style based on French château style used in the 1400s to the 1600s in the Loire Valley [6] Gaff instructed the designers to include novel conveniences such as a hot-air system to dry clothes, a trapdoor to his icehouse so that deliveries could be made directly from the street, and cork insulation for his wine cellar. Ice houses were buildings used to store Ice throughout the year prior to the invention of the Refrigerator. The interior features a mixture of 17th- and 18th-century designs. The main hall and dining room are lined with wooden paneling, Elizabethan wainscoting, and a sideboard that was originally used in an Italian monastery. Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. The reception hall, which at one time doubled as a living room, contains a wooden stair rail with baroque scrollwork and walls that are covered with Louis XIII-style oak panelling. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc For the cognac see Louis XIII de Rémy Martin. Louis XIII ( September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) The drawing room resembles 18th-century interior design with lighter wood used for panelling and basic geometric lines. [6][2]
In the sitting room, a hidden, movable wooden wall reveals the two-story Edwardian ballroom, which features a multivaulted wooden ceiling and ornamental plasterwork. Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power he reigned from 1901 to 1910 but the architecture style is generally considered The wood that covers the ceiling was discovered during a repair operation. A dome with a stained-glass cupola is located above the center of the ballroom. In Architecture, a cupola or lantern is a radially symmetrical ornamental structure (often dome-shaped or quadrilateral located on top of a larger This room is used for charity balls, formal dinners, and as a gallery and concert hall. [4][2][6]
There were originally 220 drawings of the house's design by de Sibour, but only 20 survive. [7]
References
- ^ "Colombia - Her Excellency Carolina Barco". The Washington Diplomat. The Washington Diplomat is an independent monthly newspaper focusing primarily on the foreign diplomatic community in the nation's capital Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Thomas T. Gaff House". embassy. org (1997-08-26). Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ a b Wilkie, Christina. "At Home with The Pastranas". Washington Life Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ a b "Kalorama House and Embassy Tour sets the Table for the Presidential Dish". National Trust for Historic Preservation (2007-09-16). The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by Congressional charter to support preservation Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ "History of Hillforest". hillforest. org. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ a b c d e Field, Cynthia (2007), Paris on the Potomac: The French Influence on the Architecture and Art, Ohio University Press, pp. Ohio University Press is part of Ohio University. It publishes under its own name and the Imprint Swallow Press. 96, ISBN 0821417592
- ^ a b Scott, Pamela. "Residential Architecture of Washington, D.C., and Its Suburbs". Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ "SOCIAL LIFE IN WASHINGTON; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry Are Hosts at a Dinner Dance". The New York Times (1914-12-23). Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ "Colombia - Country Specific Information". United States Department of State (2007-06-21). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
- ^ "Dupont Circle Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.
External links
- Embassy of Colombia website
- Thomas T. Gaff House is at coordinates Coordinates:
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