Harewood Lodge – Washington, D.C. - Atlas Obscura

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Harewood Lodge

One of the first Second Empire-style buildings constructed in North America.  

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Harewood Lodge was the gatehouse and porter’s lodge for the 191-acre country farm and estate of William Wilson Corcoran in rural Washington County. The Lodge was built in 1857 and was home to Corcoran’s gatekeepers, porters, and groundskeepers. Corcoran is known as the founder of Riggs Bank and the Corcoran Art Gallery.

The Lodge, with its distinctive mansard roof, was designed by prominent American architect James Renwick, Jr., who also designed the Smithsonian Castle. Corcoran sold the property to the Soldier’s Home in 1872. A one-story stone wing was added to the lodge between 1879 and 1887.

The Soldiers’ Home sold the property to the Catholic University of America in 2004. The lodge was on the D.C. Preservation League’s list of the most endangered places in 2003, but a landmark nomination saved Harewood Lodge from demolition in 2017.

Know Before You Go

Harewood Lodge sits across Harewood Avenue from the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and there is ample parking nearby. The lodge is in the process of being restored as of July 2021 and sits on private property, but can be viewed from the sidewalk. 

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