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Hiram W. Johnson House facts for kids

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Hiram W. Johnson House
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property
Mountjoy Bayly House.jpg
Hiram W. Johnson House is located in Washington, D.C.
Hiram W. Johnson House
Location in Washington, D.C.
Location 122 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, D.C.
Built 1810
Architectural style Second Empire, Federal
NRHP reference No. 73002072
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP July 20, 1973
Designated NHL December 8, 1976

The Hiram W. Johnson House is a special old building in Washington, D.C.. It's also known by other names like Mountjoy Bayly House or Parkington. This historic house is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, close to important government buildings.

The house was built around 1822. It's famous because it was once the home of Hiram Johnson (1866–1945). He was a very important politician in the early 1900s. He was part of the Progressive Party and even ran for Vice President with Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Because of its history, the house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976. This means it's a place of great national importance.

What Does the Hiram W. Johnson House Look Like?

The Hiram W. Johnson House is on Capitol Hill. It sits between Constitution Avenue and Maryland Avenue. It's just north of the Supreme Court of the United States and south of the Hart Senate Office Building. The house faces south toward Maryland Avenue.

It is a two-and-a-half story building made of brick, which is painted white. It has a raised basement, meaning the first floor is a bit above ground level. The roof is a special type called a mansard roof, which gives the house a full third floor. The front of the house has five sections, with the main entrance in the middle. You reach the entrance by climbing stairs that face sideways. The doorway has fancy decorations, including columns and an arched top. The windows on the first floor are tall and have decorative tops. The second-floor windows have flat tops with special designs and small iron balconies.

Who Lived in the Hiram W. Johnson House?

The house was built after the War of 1812. It was first designed in a style called Federal, and later updated with a Second Empire look. One of its early residents was General Mountjoy Bayly. He was the second Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, which is a high-ranking official in the Senate. General Bayly was also a soldier in the American Revolutionary War.

From 1899 to 1924, a judge who worked in an appeals court lived there. For a short time, a religious group owned the house. Then, in 1929, Hiram Johnson bought it.

Johnson was a well-known politician from California. He was a strong supporter of progressivism and reform within the Republican Party. He served as Governor of California and brought in many new progressive ideas. He also helped start the Progressive Party. In the 1930s, Johnson supported the Democratic New Deal programs, which were designed to help the country during tough economic times. He also had strong opinions on foreign policy, preferring that the United States stay out of conflicts before and after both world wars.

After Johnson, other groups have owned or used the house. These include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which works to protect people's rights, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which helps elect senators.

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