1925 F Street Club

Steedman--Ray House
Location 1925 F Street, NW
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′50″N 77°2′42″W / 38.89722°N 77.04500°WCoordinates: 38°53′50″N 77°2′42″W / 38.89722°N 77.04500°W
Built 1849
Architectural style Greek Revival
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference #

90001376

[1]
Added to NRHP September 21, 1990

The 1925 F Street Club, also known as the Steedman-Ray House or the Alexander Ray House, is an historic home that serves as the official residence of the President of The George Washington University.

History

The Greek Revival building was constructed for U.S. Navy Captain Alexander Ray (1799–1878) in 1849.

It was purchased by American University in 1920 and served as the "Downtown Campus".[2] Laura Curtis, wife of New York lawyer James Freeman Curtis, rented the home in the 1920s.[3] In 1935, the 1925 F Street Club, Inc. purchased the property and operated a private members' club, started by Laura M. Gross.[4][5] It counted many well known names as regular guests, including Harry S Truman, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Nikita Khrushchev, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. It was once labeled as "The most difficult door to open in Washington," The club was so exclusive that not even its members knew exactly who else belonged. It was the home where VIPs ate, drank and socialized as they helped chart the nation's course according to Collier Magazine.[6] It was managed by a Board of Directors consisting of ten members. They were the "Old Guard," from prominent Washington, D.C. families who carefully guarded the operations, decor and food items served.

The club hosted such members as the Ford Family from Detroit, the Rockefeller and the Marriott families, the president of the World bank, The Bank of London and Goldman Sacs. The membership totaled about 850 socialites from their era according to Richard Casiano, the General Manager from 1982 until his retirement in 1997. Richard was first hired as a bartender on January 1, 1981 and became the General Manager of the club on July 1, 1982.

The Club was operated the same as a well staffed English Manor home and the staff wore traditional Tuxedos. There was no menu and guests were served whatever was prepared for the day; however, members could order special meals in advance and for their special parties.

The F Street Club closed in 1999.[3]

The building then served as the Alumni House of The George Washington University. In July 2008, the Alumni House officially became the President's House.[7]

See also

References

20th Street view
  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ Downtown campus : 20th and F Streets (1921)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 1925 F Street, NW, A Rich History and Tradition in Washington, D.C.
  4. ↑ "Paid Notice: Deaths CURTIS, LAURA E.". New York Times. 2003-10-13. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  5. ↑ "1925 F Street, NW" (pdf). George Washington University. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  6. ↑ Collier's January 24, 1953
  7. ↑ President-elect Knapp to live in Alumni House - News

External links