Andrew Mellon Building facts for kids
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McCormick Apartments
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| Location | 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Jules Henri de Sibour |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002100 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976 |
The McCormick Apartments, also known as the Andrew Mellon Building, is a famous apartment building in Washington, D.C.. It is located on Embassy Row, a street known for its many embassies. A very important person named Andrew W. Mellon used to live here. Today, it is the home of the American Enterprise Institute.
Contents
History of the McCormick Apartments
The Andrew Mellon Building was built by Stanley McCormick. He was the heir to the International Harvester company fortune. Construction started in 1915 and finished in 1917.
Who Designed the Building?
A famous architect from Washington, D.C., named Jules Henri de Sibour designed the building. It was one of the first apartment buildings in Washington designed for very rich people. The building was made to fit in with other grand buildings in the Dupont Circle area. These buildings were built in a style called Beaux-Arts. This style is known for being very fancy and impressive.
What Was Inside?
The building originally had only six large apartments. Each apartment was huge and even had space for more than 40 servants. Some of the most important people in Washington, D.C., once lived here.
Here are a few of the famous people who lived in the building:
- Thomas F. Ryan, from 1920 to 1922
- Robert Woods Bliss, from 1920 to 1923
- Edwin T. Meredith, in 1921
- Andrew W. Mellon, from 1922 to 1937
- Sumner Welles, from 1921 to 1927
- Alanson B. Houghton, from 1930 to 1934
Andrew Mellon's Time There
The millionaire Andrew Mellon was one of the most famous people to live in the building. He was the United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932. This was a very long time for someone to hold that job.
Mellon moved into the top floor of the building in 1922. He lived there until he passed away in 1937. He helped the economy grow in the 1920s with something called the "Mellon Plan." He also founded the famous National Gallery of Art. In 1936, Mellon bought many paintings and sculptures. He paid a huge amount of money for them, which was the largest art deal ever at that time.
Changes Over Time
After 1941, the building was no longer used for apartments. It was changed into offices. On March 31, 1950, the building was sold to the American Council on Education. Later, it was sold to The Brookings Institution in 1970. Finally, the National Trust for Historic Preservation bought the building on October 28, 1976.
The Andrew Mellon Building was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976. This means it is a very important historical place in the United States.
Sale in 2013
In 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation decided to sell the building. They needed more space because their organization had grown. Experts thought the building might sell for $60 million. People thought about turning it back into luxury apartments or even a museum. However, no one made an offer to buy it.
The National Trust decided to take the building off the market for a while. They wanted to fix some parts of the building. This included repairing windows and updating the heating and cooling systems. They also thought about adding a green roof, which is a roof covered with plants.
In June 2013, the National Trust sold the Mellon Building to the American Enterprise Institute. They sold it for $36.5 million. The National Trust now rents office space in the Watergate Office Building. The National Trust still has a special agreement called a historic preservation easement. This agreement helps protect both the inside and outside of the Mellon Building for the future.
See also
In Spanish: Edificio Andrew Mellon para niños
