The Lindens – Washington, D.C. - Atlas Obscura
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The Lindens

Washington, D.C.

The oldest house in Washington, D.C. wasn't originally constructed in the nation's capital.  

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The Lindens view from the front. jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Lindens view from the front. jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Lindens Fire Call Box painting of rebuilding . jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Lindens Fire Call Box history. jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Lindens from the West. jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Lindens from the East. jward628 (Atlas Obscura User)
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Hidden amid the affluent Kalorama neighborhood, home to several political heavyweights, is the oldest home in Washington, DC. However, the house was originally crafted far away from the city. 

Constructed during the 1750s, the home was designed for wealthy shipowner and merchant, Robert Hooper, who went by the nickname “King”.  After Hooper lost the house to creditors, it changed hands several times over the next few generations. The house’s drawing-room was sold to the Kansas City Museum by a pair of antique dealers who had purchased the home.

Eventually, the entire structure was sold to George and Miriam Morris. The home was then dismantled, labeled, and packed into six railcars to be reassembled in Washington D.C. The task was completed under the watchful supervision of Walter Macomber, a key architect of Colonial Williamsburg. 

While the home has always been in private hands, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969 and is easily seen from the street. 

Know Before You Go

The story of the house is marked on one of Washington D.C.'s historic fire department call boxes, at the corner of Kalorama Road NW and 24th Street NW.  

houses homes history & culture history architecture
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