Few museums can claim that the King of Siam has been an overnight guest, but a visiting monarch does not seem incongruous with the lavishly decorated halls of the Anderson House. This dignified mansion, nestled close to the heart of Washington's Embassy Row at Dupont Circle, was built in 1905 as the winter home of American diplomat Larz Anderson and his wife, Isabel. Together they filled their home of over 30 years with a rich collection of furniture and artwork from Europe, Asia, and the United States, and hosted an impressive parade of politicians, aristocrats, and dignitaries, including President William Taft and Sir Winston Churchill. The magnificent dining table still gleams with the polish of power, and the piano at which Isabel Anderson sat to entertain is still played during concerts in the ballroom more than a century later.
When Anderson died in 1937, he left the Anderson House to the Society of the Cincinnati, the nation's oldest patriotic organization and one of which he had been a proud member. Originally founded in 1783 by senior officers of the Revolutionary War's Continental Army, the Society of the Cincinnati was dedicated to preserving the freedoms and ideals for which the American founders and their French allies had fought. George Washington, the war's hero, was the Society's first president general. Now the Anderson House serves as the headquarters for the Society, whose membership is open to the descendents of its original constituency.
The mansion's doors, which divulge rooms caked in decadent tapestries and works of art, are open to the public five afternoons a week. Merely passing through the front courtyard signals an experiential change, and visitors may almost expect to hear the echo of horses' hooves before stepping into the peace of the entry hall. The first floor of the museum harbors a sweeping ballroom and several engaging exhibits on the Revolution, but one must take a guided tour to visit the more elegant upstairs. Tucked into the basement of the Anderson House is a library replete with military and personal histories of the late 18th century, as well as many volumes exploring the art of war. All are available to those who wish to delve deeper into the annals of the Revolution.
On exhibit until May 7, 2011 is New Hampshire in the American Revolution: a quiet yet absorbing exploration of the state's role during the war and its soldiers' ensuing reluctance to join the Society of the Cincinnati. An 18th-century Purple Heart, originally named a Badge of Military Merit by George Washington and one of only two from that era still known to exist today, is among the most intriguing relics on display. Rotating exhibitions such as this one offer a formally collected perspective on the Revolutionary War, arranged in the protective cases typical of most museums. However, not everything worth seeing in the Anderson House is behind glass. The museum still retains the recognizable features of a home, albeit one fit for a king.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Museum is open from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day
- Tours (recommended) run at 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15
- Library is open for research from 10am to 4pm on weekdays
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Redline to Dupont Circle
- Contact:
- Location: 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC
- Phone: 202-785-2040
- Website: www.societyofthecincinnati.org/visits.htm
