United Mine Workers of America Building facts for kids
The United Mine Workers of America Building is an important historic building located at 900 Fifteenth Street NW in Washington, D.C.. It was built in 1912 and first served as the home for the University Club, a private social group. From 1936 to 1999, it became the main office for the United Mine Workers, a union that worked to improve the lives of mine workers.
Under the leadership of John L. Lewis, this union helped make big changes, like getting better pay and safer working conditions for many miners. John L. Lewis also started another important group called the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) to help other types of workers. Because of its history, the building was named a National Historic Landmark in 2005. Today, the upper parts of the building have been turned into homes.
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United Mine Workers of America Building
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the District of Columbia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 900 Fifteenth St. NW, Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Totten, George Oakley; Porter, Irwin Stevens, et al. |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001032 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 13, 2000 |
| Designated NHL | April 5, 2005 |
Contents
What Does the Building Look Like?
The former United Mine Workers of America Building is in downtown Washington, D.C. It stands at the corner of "I" and 15th Streets NW. One side faces east towards McPherson Square. It is a six-story building made of stone, brick, and steel. Its style is called Renaissance Revival, which means it looks like buildings from the European Renaissance period.
The first two floors are made of light-colored stone. The ground floor has a rough, textured look. The second floor has tall, rounded windows. The upper floors are mostly covered in light brown brick.
A Building with Two Lives
The building was first built in 1912. It had five stories and was designed by George Totten. It was home to the University Club, a private club for important men in the city. The second floor was a large social area, and the upper floors had private rooms for members.
In 1936, the University Club sold the building to the United Mine Workers (UMW). The UMW changed the inside of the building. The second floor became meeting rooms and the union president's office. The upper floors were used for other offices. The UMW also added the sixth floor to the building.
Why Is This Building Important?
The building is historically important because it was the main office for the United Mine Workers for many years. The UMW was very active in getting new laws passed to help workers, especially during the "New Deal" years in the 1930s.
The union's president, John L. Lewis, was a very powerful leader in the labor movement. He helped start the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1935. He did this when another big union, the American Federation of Labor, didn't want to help organize workers who had semi-skilled jobs. John L. Lewis was the president of the UMW for a long time, from 1920 until 1960.
The UMW moved out of the building in 1999. Since then, the building has been changed to mostly include homes. It is even connected to other buildings nearby.
Images for kids
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The UMWA building from McPherson Square.
