Lafayette Square Historic District
Roughly between 15th and 17th Sts. and H St. and State and Treasury Places, exclusive of the White House and its grounds, Washington, District of Columbia
Map
Coordinates:
+38.89872, -77.0363338°53'55" N, 77°02'11" W
Quadrangle map:Washington West
Description
Indicated as part of the grounds of the President's House by Pierre L'Enfant, the square was one of the first open spaces in the city to be landscaped as a public park. Adjacent to the White House, the surrounding neighborhood was home to diplomats and some of the nation's most influential leaders. Although no residences remain on the square, the park draws tourists and local office workers at lunch. Since the 1960s, it has also become a popular site for First Amendment Rights demonstrations and a campsite for the homeless. Lafayette Park stands with the Mall and Capitol Grounds as one of the most significant open spaces in Washington, D.C.
-- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS DC-676)
National Register information
- Status
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1970
- Reference number
- 70000833
- Architectural styles
- Victorian; Federal
- Areas of significance
- Landscape Architecture; Commerce; Politics/Government
- Level of significance
- National
- Evaluation criteria
- A - Event; C - Design/Construction
- Property type
- District
- Historic functions
- Museum; Single dwelling; Plaza; Government office
- Current functions
- Museum; Diplomatic building; Government office; Plaza
- Periods of significance
- 1875-1899; 1850-1874
- Significant years
- 1851; 1872; 1881
- Number of properties
- Contributing buildings: 14
Contributing sites: 1
Contributing objects: 5
Update Log
- May 10, 2017: New Street View added by Michael Miller
- April 27, 2017: New Street View added by Michael Miller