"No other organization has headquarters with a more conspicuous link to history than the Arts Club," writes Hope Ridings Miller in Great Houses of Washington, D.C., and the club draws much of its character, tradition, and spirit from that important connection.

On property deeded by the British crown in the late 18th century, a small house (still visible as the building's rear wing) was built in 1802. This was expanded in 1806 to the present Georgian-style structure, described at the time of its completion as "the handsomest house in the Capital City."

Secretary of State James Monroe and his wife were residents here before the British invasion in 1814. They filled the house with furnishings acquired when Monroe served as America's minister to France, and the couple's taste and hospitality greatly impressed their Washington guests. After Monroe was inaugurated in March 1817, the house served as the president's residence until the war-damaged executive mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue was fully restored in September of that year. 

Throughout the 19th century, including the years in which it housed the British Legation under two successive ministers, 2017 I Street enjoyed a reputation as a residence where lively social gatherings, excellent food, and convivial company could be found.

A new dimension was added to that reputation in 1916. Two groups of Washington artists found that each was interested in establishing a club devoted to the arts, inspired by London's Chelsea Arts Club and the National Arts Club in New York City. They joined forces and created the Arts Club of Washington, purchasing 2017 I Street as its home in May 1916. With its focus on painting, sculpture, music, and drama, the Arts Club provided a contrast to Washington's more traditional clubs. It also differed in another important way: This was the first club in the city to admit women as full-fledged members from the very start. Sculptor Henry K Bush-Brown was the group's first president. His portrait (by his wife, Lydia) now hangs above one of the club's first-floor fireplaces and his dramatic bust of Abraham Lincoln is displayed in the second-floor library.

A late 19th-century structure known as the MacFeeley House (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) was joined to the Monroe House in the 1920s, providing space for the club's expanding programs and activities. As the organization grew, the Arts club established itself as a social and cultural center and it welcomed many of the important artists, musicians, performers, and writers who visited the city.

Map and Directions

www.expedia.com