Stewart's Castle
A short-lived turreted mansion on Dupont Circle.
Stewart's Castle, also called Castle Stewart or Stewart's Folly, was a mansion in Washington, D.C., on the north side of Dupont Circle. Built for Senator William Morris Stewart and designed by Adolf Cluss, the house was notable for its turreted facade and its construction in an area then considered undesirable. It stood for only 28 years before being razed in 1901.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 1913 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036-1105
- City
- Washington, DC
- Country
- United-States
- Completed
- 1873
- Demolished date
- 1901
- Owner
- Senator William Morris Stewart
- Architect
- Adolf Cluss
Facts from the source article.
History
Before the 1860s, the Dupont Circle area was mostly swampy, empty land dotted with a few small homes. In 1871, the Board of Public Works launched major city improvements. The next year, Connecticut Avenue was paved from Lafayette Square to Boundary Street, now Florida Avenue, and lined with trees. The circle, first called Pacific Circle, got paths, fences, and landscaping.
Its developers were wealthy lawyers and former miners from California and Nevada: Senator William Morris Stewart, Curtis Justin Hillyer, and Thomas Sunderland. Hillyer and Sunderland pushed Stewart to erect a grand house on the circle to boost local property values. Though short on cash, Stewart hired Adolf Cluss, a German immigrant and the Board’s architect, who had designed landmarks like the Arts and Industries Building and Franklin School. Construction ran from 1871 to 1873, costing $80,000 to $100,000.
The house, nearly 19,000 square feet, was shaped to fit its pentagonal lot on the north side of the circle’s arc. Stewart’s wife, Annie, daughter of Senator Henry S. Foote, bought all the furnishings in France in 1872. The first shipment sank at sea, so she ordered a near-identical replacement, which arrived safely.
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