Old Main
From GWUEncyc
Building
Title: Old Main
Address: 1922 F Street, N.W.
Square and lot, bordering streets: NA (E, F, 19th, 20th)
Architect: Unknown, remodeled by Mills, Petticord & Mills
Date of construction: Unknown, remodeled by National Association of Life Underwriters in 1959
Original owner: Unknown
Description: This low-profile three-story red brick building has a dramatic, classically-inspired entrance with thin Tuscan columns and a full entablature. It is formed by a central block of three stories with two flanking, slightly projecting wings. A broken pediment surmounts the door.
The building was formerly owned by the National Association of Life Underwriters (NALU) as their headquarters from 1959-2000. It previously served as "St. John's Orphanage," the principle charity of St. John's Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square, opposite The White House. Originally it was founded as "St. John's Hospital for Children" in a house on Pennsylvania Ave., on November 1, 1870; in December 1873, it moved to 1908 H Street N.W. (the site of the IMF and formerly that of Western Presbyterian Church). As a result of the depression in the 1870's, funds ran out, but Sister Sarah salvaged the institution, relying on her own resources largely, by moving the forty-three orphaned children into a vacant house on this site (20th and F Streets, N.W.) in 1878. After the house was destroyed by fire in 1914, a fire proof building was erected for the orphanage. There no longer being a need to shelter orphans, it closed after 1956, and was sold to the NALU on March 31, 1959 for $515,500.
However, the concept of this orphanage has lived on, and the charitable work of St. John's Church for children is being continued presently by St. John's Community Services at 4880 MacArthur Boulevard., N.W., in D.C. [as of 2006]
Formerly on the square: St. John's Orphanage
Historic designation: None
Document Information
Images: 0
Photographic Credit: n/a
Author or Source: Reconnaissance-Level Architectural Survey of Properties in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C., 1999
Document Location: University Archives
Date Added to Encyclopedia: January 18, 2007
Prepared by: Lyle Slovick, Assistant University Archivist
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