Sewall-Belmont House and Museum

Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site
Location 144 Constitution Ave., NE
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′31″N 77°0′13″W / 38.89194°N 77.00361°W / 38.89194; -77.00361Coordinates: 38°53′31″N 77°0′13″W / 38.89194°N 77.00361°W / 38.89194; -77.00361
Area less than one acre
Built 1800
Architectural style Georgian
NRHP Reference # 72001432
Website www.sewallbelmont.org
Significant dates
Added to NRHP June 16, 1972[1]
Designated NHL May 30, 1974[2]

The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., USA, is a historic house and museum of the U.S. women's suffrage and equal rights movements.

The Sewall-Belmont House & Museum is located at 144 Constitution Ave., Northeast, Washington, D.C., and the public entrance is on 2nd Street, NE, next to the Hart Senate Office Building. It is open to the public Friday and Saturday for tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.[3] Guided tours and group tours can be scheduled in advance by visiting the website. The nearest Metro stop is Union Station.[4]

History

It was built on a tract of land originally granted to Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore by King Charles I of England. The property was divided several times, and it was Daniel Carroll who ultimately ceded much of the land to the United States as a site for the new capital. After Washington was laid out, Carroll bought a small parcel of land and in 1799 sold the property to Robert Sewall. According to his tax records, Sewall built the main house in 1799-1800, coinciding with the arrival of the Federal government in Washington. He attached it to a small one-room farmhouse believed by some experts to date from 1750. Although the Sewall family rarely occupied the home, due to its size, beauty, and location, many prominent government leaders resided there including Albert Gallatin who served as Secretary of the Treasury under Jefferson and Madison, U.S. Senator from Virginia John Barbour, and Reverdy Johnson who held offices including U.S. Senator from Maryland, Attorney General, and Minister to England.

Tradition has it that British troops set fire to the house during the War of 1812; it is believed that gunshots from within or behind the Sewall residence provoked the attack. Contemporary reports indicated that "several private buildings [were] wantonly destroyed" including homes and hotels.

The house has undergone several architectural changes and restorations. The house remained in the possession of Sewall descendants until 1922, when it was purchased by Senator Porter H. Dale of Vermont. Dale performed extensive rehabilitation of the house. In 1929, Dale sold it to the National Woman's Party, and it has been the party's headquarters ever since. The National Woman's Party made alterations to the home, convert the private residence to a multi-purpose living and working space where Alice Paul and others lived and worked. The NWP renamed the home the Alva Belmont House after the president and benefactor.

In 1920-1921, Alva Belmont purchased three rowhouses at 21-25 First Street, NE, which were known as the "Old Brick Capitol." This property was deeded to the National Woman's Party and became the official headquarters in 1922. Fearing that building would be condemned by the government, the NWP signed an agreement with Senator and Mrs. Dale, making plans to purchase the fifth and final headquarters and moving in during the fall of 1929. The NWP also purchased two homes to the north of the main house. These were used for bedrooms and offices until they were demolished to make room for the Hart Senate Office Building.

The Sewall-Belmont continues to be used as the headquarters for the NWP. Today, the house is also a museum that houses many banners, documents, pieces of furniture, and other artifacts of the women's suffrage and equal rights movement, as well as sculptures and portraits of women involved in the movements.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.[2][5]

In August 2015, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) introduced legislation to transfer ownership of the Sewall-Belmont House to the National Park System. The NWP said the building is increasingly costly to maintain, and an ownership change would allow for better conservation.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Sewall-Belmont House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  3. ↑ Sewall-Belmont House & Museum official site: Admissions
  4. ↑ http://www.cr.nps.gov/Nr/travel/wash/dc82.htm
  5. ↑ Carol Ann Poh (August 23, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Alva Belmont House / Sewall-Belmont House" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying five photos, exterior, from 1961, 1969, and 1975 PDF (32 KB)
  6. ↑ Niedt, Bob (August 12, 2015). "Capitol Hill women's history site may become Park Service entity". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2015.

External links

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