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room, bathroom, and three bedrooms. Most apartments did not have a kitchen since residents preferred to eat in one of the public dining rooms. Each apartment included a coal-burning fireplace in the parlor and dining room, mostly for aesthetic purposes, but steam heating was used throughout the building. The parlor fireplaces featured "rich ebony mantles, ornamental tile borders and hearths and are surmounted by beveled mirrors". Also included in each apartment was a telephone that connected to the public dining room, janitor's office, and elevator.
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buildings being constructed in the city within a decade of its completion. There would eventually be hundreds of apartment buildings constructed in
Washington, D.C., during the next several decades. Many of these were later demolished, including the Portland Flats in 1962. It was replaced with an office building that was later converted into a hotel. The design of the Portland Flats later inspired an identically-named residential building constructed in
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being available throughout the city. In 1922 a fire broke out in
Senator McKellar's fifth-floor apartment, quickly spreading to the sixth floor and roof. Firefighters arrived quickly on the scene and thousands of spectators watched as they battled the blaze. The fifth-floor was heavily damaged by fire, the sixth floor by smoke, and the lower floors by water that was used to extinguish the flames.
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308:(1825-1905) and his business partner Paul Schulze to design an apartment building facing Thomas Circle, the city's first luxury apartment house. Cluss was a German immigrant who moved to Washington, D.C., in the 1850s. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented architect, designing prominent buildings including the
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to the basement level. There were two main staircases in addition to a staircase for servants, each lit by skylights. In addition to the lobby and parlor on the first floor, there were three public dining rooms, one of which was for women, a standard practice at the time of its construction. A corner
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commented on the demise of the
Portland, which he called a "charming period piece" but also stated: "Inside, let's face it, it's a slum as well as a labyrinth and totally unsuitable as an office building." He also criticized the building's corner dome "which somehow can't decide how to stop. It goes
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details seemed out of place to most people by the 1930s. The building was converted to office space around 1940, and there was more extensive interior remodeling but few changes to the exterior. The property and another former apartment building on the same block, the
Hermitage, were sold in 1953 for
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by
Frederick Gichner of Gichner Iron Works was installed above the Vermont Avenue entrance. The Portland Flats continued to be a popular choice for luxury apartment living until the 1920s, when the ornate style of the building began to fall out of favor, in addition to many other apartment options
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The price and reputation of the
Portland Flats led to its popularity with prominent citizens, and construction of the second phase of the building began after permit #0812 was issued on February 2, 1883. After the second phase was completed, the building included 39 apartments at a total cost of $
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built the first apartment building in
Washington, D.C., the Fernando Wood Flats, at 1418 I Street NW. Building permit #1596 was issued for the first phase of Weston's building, the Portland Flats, on June 16, 1880. Weston was reluctant to invest a large amount of money in what was then a new trend
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style with intricate
Victorian details including "decorative carvings, glazed brick accents, elaborate belt courses and balconies, and an unusually gaudy fifth floor cornice that appeared almost to drip with ornamentation". The main entrance of the building was on Vermont Avenue. There were three
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for $ 450,000. The first floor was remodeled with five storefronts being built. It was sold shortly thereafter and converted from an apartment building into the
Portland Hotel in 1926. The property was sold again in 1928 for $ 600,000, and an extensive interior remodeling took place. By this time
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There were 39 apartments in the
Portland Flats each with 10-foot (3.0 m) ceilings and projecting bay windows, providing an abundance of natural light. The largest apartments were on the first through fourth floors. The largest apartments had seven rooms, including a parlor, servants' room, dining
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called the Portland Flats a "regular gold mine to its owner". The success of the project influenced the development of around 50 apartment buildings throughout the city in the 1880s. Around 15 apartment buildings would eventually be constructed on four adjacent blocks. The construction of these
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reporter that for the Portland Flats he would "spare no pains in its construction and will pay particular attention to interior decorations". There were doubts amongst some about how successful the business venture would be. One real estate developer said "When the Portland was projected by Mr.
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noted "Among the thousand and one boardinghouses in Washington, from the semi-hotel to the two-story brick home with its stuffy parlor, there is a not a French flat. Mr. Edward Weston, a retired capitalist of Yonkers, N.Y., proposes to erect here the first house of this style ever built at the
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Portland Flats was built as a business venture for Edward L. Weston. Apartment buildings had become a popular residential option in his native New York, and the trend continued in Washington, D.C., after completion of the Portland Flats. Its design and prestige influenced dozens of apartment
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secondary entrances, one on 14th Street, and two leading into the first floor drugstore that faced Thomas Circle. The defining feature of the Portland Flats was a circular tower on the north side facing Thomas Circle. The octagonal tower featured balconies and was topped with a
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often lamented the fact there were no acceptable places to rent with the $ 5,000 salary they received, and they often stayed in boardinghouses or hotels. There arose a need for apartment buildings to address the problem. In April 1880 an article in
465:, which intersects with Thomas Circle, enhanced the prestige of the area. Apartments grew increasingly popular amongst Washingtonians, and by 1904 over 300 apartment buildings had been constructed, increasing to almost 600 by 1910.
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The Portland Flats was located on Square 215, Lot 12, a triangular lot bordered by 14th Street NW on the east and Vermont Avenue NW on the west. The northern corner of the lot is on the south side of Thomas Circle, a
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stated: "The Portland French flat, at the corner of Fourteenth street and Vermont avenue, will be a finished work some time next week, and a work of beauty it will be." The design was reminiscent of an
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in the 1860s, making the area more accessible to residents and leading to development. The circle itself, called Memorial Circle at the time, was made into a park in the early 1870s, and
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sailing into Thomas Circle." The cost to rent these apartments was very expensive at the time: $ 150 a month, which was much higher than the Fernando Wood Flats at $ 55 a month.
217:, and Vermont Avenue NW intersect. The triangular-shaped building's main architectural feature was the corner tower and dome, which resulted in the Portland Flats resembling an
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344:-style Portland Flats was built to accommodate the lot's triangular shape where 14th Street and Vermont Avenue intersect with Thomas Circle. In April 1881 an article in the
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There were two hydraulic elevators in the building, a modern feature that enhanced the prestige of the Portland Flats. Some of the larger apartments included a
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in local housing, although he had witnessed the success and popularity of such apartment buildings in New York City and Chicago in the 1870s. Weston told a
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in 1820 on the northwest edge of the circle and a mansion on the northeast edge of the circle built for Thomas Coltman in 1843, which was later known as the
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drugstore and two apartments facing a small courtyard were also on the first floor. The public hallways were marble-tiled and featured arches.
489:$ 600,000. In 1962 property owners Parkwood, Inc., demolished the Portland and replaced it with a surface parking lot. All of the other pre-
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apartment buildings constructed in the adjacent blocks were also demolished during this time period and replaced with office buildings.
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Author and historian John DeFerrari said the shape of the Portland Flats was the "closest Washington has come to having its own
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Edward Weston he was laughed at, and it was said the people of Washington would never come to living in 'tenement' houses."
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across Thomas Circle, until an 11-story office building was constructed in 1968. The building was later converted into a
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Edward L. Weston, a retired New York businessman who had moved to Washington, D.C., in 1878, chose architect and engineer
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The following year the owners, who were relatives of Weston, sold the Portland Flats to local real estate developer
578:." The red-brick, triangular-shaped building had six floors, not including the basement, and was designed in the
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The city's population grew rapidly during and after the Civil War, leading to a housing shortage. Members of
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324:. Cluss also designed Weston's five-story home at 1426 K Street NW, built in 1878 and demolished in 1950.
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was built on the north side of the circle in 1873. The circle was renamed Thomas Circle in 1879 when the
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254:. Before then there were only two prominent residential buildings: a house built for Treasury Secretary
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A few months before Weston's building was completed, former US representative and New York City mayor
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1126:(March 13, 1962). "Time Runs Out for 1880 Landmark: City's First Apartment House to Be Razed".
866:"New Yorkers Transform How Washingtonians Live: Washington's 19th Century Apartment Revolution"
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on to pierce the sky with a silly pinnacle reminiscent of Kaiser Wilhelm's helmet."
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The site was used as a parking lot for a few years, including for people attending
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buildings near the Portland Flats along with ornate houses being constructed along
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350,000. Notable residents of the Portland Flats included Supreme Court Justice
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hotel. Monroe Street Market, a mixed-use project across the street from the
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and park in Washington, D.C., at the intersection of 14th Street,
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Construction of the elaborate building, designed by architect
201:, was completed in 1881. It was built on the south side of
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Thomas Circle in 1922, as viewed from the Portland Flats.
716:"The Portland, Washington's First Luxury Apartment House"
193:) was the first luxury apartment building constructed in
622:
L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C
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Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.
1214:"Monroe Street Market – A Community's Unifying Theme"
1283:
Renaissance Revival architecture in Washington, D.C.
624:. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 168–170.
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First luxury apartment building in Washington, D.C.
1062:"District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites"
1018:United States Congressional Serial Set Volume 2170
957:"Senator Beveridge on the Struggles for Manchuria"
571:, Massachusetts Avenue NW, and Vermont Avenue NW.
21:For the demolished hotel in Portland, Oregon, see
519:, watched the slow demolition of the building.
926:"Capital's Earthquakes Echo Through the Years"
481:much of the building's prestige had vanished.
1067:. DC Office of Planning. September 30, 2009.
448:The Portland Flats was demolished in 1962. A
8:
440:in 1916 with the Portland Flats on the right
1273:Buildings and structures demolished in 1962
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709:
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1021:. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1884.
955:Carpenter, Frank G. (February 14, 1904).
804:Washington A History of Our National City
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250:, was mostly undeveloped until after the
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556:equestrian statue of George Henry Thomas
1288:Residential buildings completed in 1881
1268:Apartment buildings in Washington, D.C.
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864:Gilmore, Matthew B. (August 28, 2016).
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1212:Salustri, John (September 23, 2015).
421:, and the widow of Kentucky Governor
7:
1152:"The National City Christian Church"
1074:from the original on October 1, 2020
714:DeFerrari, John (January 19, 2016).
1224:from the original on March 16, 2022
1189:. DC Historic Preservation Office.
1162:from the original on March 13, 2022
1104:from the original on March 13, 2022
997:from the original on March 13, 2022
967:from the original on March 13, 2022
936:from the original on March 13, 2022
906:from the original on March 13, 2022
205:, a traffic circle and park where
14:
1193:from the original on May 23, 2020
840:from the original on July 1, 2020
722:from the original on May 13, 2021
513:, at the time a reporter for the
452:hotel now stands on the location.
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359:Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar
59:
52:
36:
1025:from the original on 2022-08-05
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142:
776:. Smithsonian. pp. 8–10.
532:Catholic University of America
524:National City Christian Church
1:
1046:"Fire In a Senator's Rooms".
806:. Basic Books. p. 210.
660:. Smithsonian. p. 213.
552:Luther Place Memorial Church
322:Arts and Industries Building
276:Luther Place Memorial Church
242:The area around present-day
238:Development and construction
221:sailing into Thomas Circle.
377:, New York Representatives
373:, Louisiana Representative
1304:
1094:"The Growing Trade Center"
500:was still in its infancy.
468:In 1905 an iron and glass
20:
833:. DC Office of Planning.
828:"DC Architects Directory"
718:. Streets of Washington.
528:Residence Inn by Marriott
450:Residence Inn by Marriott
47:
35:
1187:"1121 Vermont Avenue NW"
772:Goode, James M. (1988).
656:Goode, James M. (2003).
620:Bednar, Michael (2006).
361:, Agriculture Secretary
320:, and the Smithsonian's
215:Massachusetts Avenue NW
168:Design and construction
128:38.904859°N 77.032172°W
1158:. September 28, 1963.
987:"Silver Hair on Trial"
559:
453:
441:
385:, Postmaster Generals
371:Samuel Rhoads Franklin
363:Julius Sterling Morton
318:Calvary Baptist Church
42:Portland Flats in 1917
900:The Washington Herald
549:
498:historic preservation
447:
436:
407:William P. Dillingham
314:Charles Sumner School
270:line was built along
133:38.904859; -77.032172
1254:at Wikimedia Commons
932:. November 3, 1935.
896:"Points of Interest"
504:architecture critic
463:Massachusetts Avenue
417:, Tennessee Senator
262:, named after Judge
189:(later known as the
1129:The Washington Post
991:The L'Anse Sentinel
802:Lewis, Tom (2015).
580:Renaissance Revival
542:Location and design
415:Charles E. Townsend
413:, Michigan Senator
403:Albert J. Beveridge
397:, Indiana Senators
342:Renaissance Revival
297:The Washington Post
284:George Henry Thomas
256:William H. Crawford
124: /
83:Renaissance Revival
79:Architectural style
74:General information
1048:The New York Times
993:. March 17, 1894.
876:on 27 October 2020
560:
454:
442:
405:, Vermont Senator
399:Daniel W. Voorhees
395:George B. Corkhill
179:& Paul Schulze
1250:Media related to
1124:Von Eckardt, Wolf
902:. March 5, 1917.
576:Flatiron Building
423:Luke P. Blackburn
411:Albert B. Cummins
365:, Navy Secretary
280:equestrian statue
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1100:. May 22, 1924.
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872:. Archived from
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419:Kenneth McKellar
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195:Washington, D.C.
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409:, Iowa Senator
379:Sereno E. Payne
369:, Rear Admiral
367:John Davis Long
310:Franklin School
286:was installed.
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1132:. p. B1.
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1050:. May 2, 1922.
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658:Capital Losses
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565:traffic circle
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484:The elaborate
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393:, US Attorney
340:The six-story
272:14th Street NW
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187:Portland Flats
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478:Harry Wardman
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438:Thomas Circle
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429:Later history
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387:John Creswell
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1226:. Retrieved
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1195:. Retrieved
1164:. Retrieved
1156:Evening Star
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1106:. Retrieved
1098:Evening Star
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1076:. Retrieved
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1027:. Retrieved
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999:. Retrieved
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969:. Retrieved
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938:. Retrieved
930:Evening Star
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173:Architect(s)
89:Town or city
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1218:GlobeSt.com
569:M Street NW
491:World War I
351:ocean liner
306:Adolf Cluss
219:ocean liner
211:M Street NW
199:Adolf Cluss
177:Adolf Cluss
131: /
106:Coordinates
1262:Categories
1029:2022-03-14
603:References
596:dumbwaiter
587:and dome.
301:Capitol."
152:Demolished
119:77°01′56″W
116:38°54′17″N
1228:March 14,
1197:March 14,
1166:March 14,
1138:141641361
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726:March 14,
536:Brookland
486:Victorian
268:streetcar
252:Civil War
227:Brookland
144:Completed
1222:Archived
1191:Archived
1160:Archived
1134:ProQuest
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1069:Archived
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995:Archived
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720:Archived
554:and the
291:Congress
470:marquee
233:History
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808:ISBN
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