Alban Towers is an apartment building on Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest Washington, D.C. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Washington. Massachusetts Avenue, colloquially abbreviated Mass. ... Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ... The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ...

It is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue (Embassy Row) and Wisconsin Avenue and occupies the 221,000 square foot (21,000 m²) block between those two avenues and Garfield Street, Cathedral Avenue, and 38th Street. Diagonally across the Massachusetts-Wisconsin intersection is the St. Albans School, which occupies the southwestern corner of the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral. Built atop Mount Saint Alban, it is located on the highest point in Washington. Embassy Row is the informal name for a street or area of a city where embassies or other diplomatic installations are concentrated. ... Wisconsin Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs. ... St. ... Washington National Cathedral was the site of two Presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald W. Reagan, and a presidential burial in the cathedral mausoleum: Woodrow Wilson. ...

Overview

The land Alban Towers is situated on was purchased by its developer from the Washington National Cathedral in the early 1920s. It opened in 1929 as the largest apartment building in Washington, D.C. By today's standards, however, it is modest in size; it is 6 stories tall. 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Its prominent architect/developer team, Robert O. Scholz, designer, David A. Baer, builder, designed the building in the Gothic Revival with tan-colored brick and limestone employed to simulate the monochrome composition of Gothic style architecture; popular in the 1920s and because it would complement the Washington National Cathedral. (Together Scholz & Baer were responsible for the construction of at least eight apartment buildings between the years 1922 and 1931. As a result, they earned a reputation as one of the more important apartment house architect/developer teams of the post-World War I decade. Representing the product of the collaboration, both whom specialized in 1920s apartment building construction, Alban Towers reflects the work of notable planners and architects who influenced the evolution of apartment construction in Washington, D.C.) 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

The lobbies and hallways, with their richly ornamented Gothic/Art Deco elements, were integral to the exterior scheme. Paved in quarry tiles of brown, orange, and ocher laid in a geometric pattern, the lobby is topped by plaster crown molding composed of rope and infilled with alternating roses, acorns, and thistles. These symbols of Great Britain serve to reinforce the English Gothic tenor of the building. The walls of the upper-floor hallways are covered in rough-finished stucco, lending a “sumptuous texture that is rarely found in apartment buildings.”

The building represents an exceptionally fine example of superior design, construction, and craftsmanship characterizing luxury apartment buildings erected in Washington during the 1920s. Alban Towers’ highly decorative interior complements and reinforces the architectural style of the exterior.

Offering several amenities first introduced to Washington apartment buildings in the 1920s, Alban Towers is a testament to the changes in apartment design and construction after World War I. Billed as an apartment hotel, Alban Towers offered its residents 24-hour maid service and a public dining room. Indeed, on the ground floor of the building were housed a beauty shop, a travel agency, a grocery store, and a lunch counter. Each of the upper floors contained a maid’s lounge and a bathroom facility. Constructed during the decade in which apartment construction exceeded that of single-family houses, Alban Towers attempted to compensate for smaller family space by furnishing its tenants with luxurious amenities and public areas. The relative modesty of individual apartments is offset by the grandeur of the public spaces.

Originally, the building featured 132 units, mostly of lavish one-bedroom apartment homes, as well as a number of hotel suites. In 1930, responding to the large demand for apartment in the building, the number of units was increased by 84 with the construction of an additional two wings on the south side of the building in 1930. 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

In the 1960s, neglect of the owners to afford proper care and maintenance to the building led to its decline in status. In 1973 it was sold to Georgetown University for use as housing for some 450 students. In the 1980s and 1990s the building lay vacant, and fell into a state of serious disrepair. During this time it continually changed ownership. In 1994, amidst plans to demolish the building, area residents successfully lobbied for its recognition as a historic place to spare the destruction of a building of such grand architecture and historic past. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... Not to be confused with the University of Georgetown in Georgetown, Guyana or Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY. Georgetown University is a private university in the United States. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

Finally, in 1999, it was purchased by Charles E. Smith Residential Realty, which undertook a costly restoration effort. Particular attention was paid to the preservation of the building's original architectural elements. The restoration included restoration architects and artisans to ensure that the original character of the building was retained. The exterior, lobby and hallways were restored, while the actual apartments — which had been demolished by previous owners — were completely rebuilt to serve modern demands. The total cost of the restoration was $63 million. The building was reopened in 2001. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Many people have been named Charles E. Smith, including: Charles E. Smith (1820-1900), president of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Today, the building provides residence to many diplomats and government officials, as well as to a lesser number of American University students. For other universities known as American University, see American University (disambiguation). ...

Building

Alban Towers' exterior is comprised of Limestone Tracery, bas-relief panels and brick, and has much Gothic-inspired ornamentation, including arched balcony openings, gargoyles, and rising spirals on the roof. The main entrance on Massachusetts Avenue features an crenelated porte-cochere with carved spandrels and corbel stones supporting its gothic arches. Also featured on the porte-cochere are six carved heads; five of medieval males and the sixth of an aviator inspired by Charles A. Lindbergh's historic flight. Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Bas relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... See also Gothic art. ... This article is about gargoyles, the statues. ... Crenellation (or crenelation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that framed the tops of the walls of many medieval castles, often called battlements. ... A Porte-Cochere is the architectural term for a porch or portico like structure, at the entrance to a building, through which it is possible for a horse and carriage or motor vehicle to pass, in order for the occupants to alight under cover and protected from the weather. ... A spandrel is originally a term from Architecture, but has more recently been given an analogous meaning in Evolutionary biology. ... In Medieval architecture a corbel or console names a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. ... For ARCH models, see autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Charles Lindbergh with the Spirit of St. ...

The grand lobby is spacious and designed using Tudor ideals, featuring Tudor strapwork and plaster ceilings. The Tudor style, a term applied to the Perpendicular style, was originally that of the English architecture and decorative arts produced under the Tudor dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, characterized as an amalgam of Late Gothic style formalized by more concern for regularity and symmetry, with round...

The hallways — which are protected under historic preservation laws — are designed with a rough plaster finish, pointed arches, and sculptural plaster pilasters and brackets. Sculptured plaster arches and panels and friezes in the public corridors resemble the signs of the zodiac. // Gypsum plaster Plaster of Paris, or simply plaster, is a type of building material based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate, nominally (CaSO4)2*H2O. It is created by heating gypsum to about 150°C, 2(CaSO4 · 2H2O) → (CaSO4)2 · H2O + 3 H2O (released as steam). ... In architecture, pilasters comprise slightly-projecting pseudo-columns built into or onto a wall, with capitals and bases. ... Zodiac signs, 16th century , medieval woodcuts The zodiac (from Greek zoon, animal) is an imaginary belt in the heavens extending approximately 8 degrees on either side of the Suns apparent path (the ecliptic), that includes the apparent paths of the Moon and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and...

Today, the building offers 229 units in the form of studio and one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments between 486 and 1,521 square feet as rental properties.

There are two indoor garages for the building's residents; attached and detached. The attached garage is incorporated into the building's basement level and accommodates a limited number of cars. The detached garage is located opposite the building on the building's access drive, and features two underground heated levels of parking spaces. Additionally, the detached garage serves as access to the private garages of a number of luxury townhouses — Alban Row — located above the garage on 38th Street.

The building includes a grand lobby, a party room, fitness center, swimming pool, conference center, business center and rooftop garden. 50 meter indoor swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, or wading pool is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for recreational or competitive swimming, diving, or for other bathing activities that do not involve swimming, e. ...

Grounds

An access drive runs behind the building from Cathedral Avenue to Garfield Street. Originally, a large park was located behind the building, but under the current ownership, it was scaled down into a nationally recognized butterfly garden, which was designed in coordination with the Washington Area Butterfly Club. The purpose of the scaling down of the park was to provide land for the Alban Row townhouses, which were built to offset the costs of the expensive restoration of 1999–2001. Butterfly gardening is a growing school of gardening, specifically wildlife gardening, that is aimed at creating an environment that attracts butterflies, as well as certain moths, such as those in the hemaris genus. ...

Historical connections

• Alban Towers was the Washington, D.C. headquarters of supporters of the presidential campaigns of John F. Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
• Its hotel suites were frequented by such celebrities as Bette Davis and Frank Sinatra.
• It was the Washington residence of Thomas Dewey and Edmund Muskie, prominent American politicians.
• During World War II it was discovered that Japanese spies had used the Alban Towers residence of the Japanese Naval attaché as a lookout point to the city as well as a place to tap into official radio frequencies.
• Its apartments were leased by the embassies of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa and others to house their diplomats. However, during the 1950s, this created controversy when the embassies of the newly independent African states attempted to lease some of its apartments; Washington was still a racially segregated city and the African diplomats were refused residence in Alban Towers and other area apartment buildings.

A political campaign is an effort to reach a certain political goal. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Eugene Joseph Gene McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005) was an American politician and a longtime member of the U.S. Congress. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... This article is about the actress; there is also a singer named Betty Davis. ... The neutrality of this article or section may be compromised by weasel words. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. ... Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1955) and the Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in two elections (1944 and 1948), losing both times. ... Edmund Muskie (March 28, 1914 – March 26, 1996) was a Polish-American politician from Maine. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... An attaché is a person who is assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission and often has special responsibilities or expertise. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People, Leland, Mississippi, June 1937 Racial segregation is characterized by forced separation of people of different races in daily life when both are doing equal tasks, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to...

External links

• Official website
• Charles E. Smith Website

References

• Daniela Deane. "Alban Towers Pricey, Historic Address." The Washington Post, 12 May 2001.
• James M. Goode. Best Addresses: A Century of Washington's Distinguished Apartment Houses, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, 1988.