Whittemore House

What to know

The Whittemore House is a landmark 19th-century residence located at 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Designed and built by architect Harvey Page for opera singer Sarah Adams Whittemore, a member of the distinguished Adams family of Massachusetts, the mansion was constructed between 1892 and 1894. The property is a 3,100-square-foot mansion that spans four floors and contains nine rooms of varying sizes and uses. Since 1927, the house has served as the headquarters of the Woman's National Democratic Club (WNDC). It now functions as a historic house museum, granted museum status in 2000, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The house includes the Woman's National Democratic Club Museum, which features political memorabilia from Democratic political campaigns, photographs, and antique furnishings from the Gilded Age. Notable interior architectural features include an Arts and Crafts foyer and stairwell, as well as an elaborate plaster ceiling in the former music room, now known as the Hamlin Room. The mansion's ballroom and upstairs galleries host rotating exhibitions from Washington-area artists, blending political history and local art. Today, the venue also markets itself as a site for weddings, corporate events, and private parties.

Visitor tips

• Self-guided tours are available Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during business hours.
• Please note that children under 10 years of age are not admitted to the museum.
• Check for rotating art exhibitions in the ballroom and upstairs galleries before visiting.

Nearby context

Located in the heart of Dupont Circle, the Whittemore House is surrounded by historic mansions and embassy buildings, reflecting the neighborhood's legacy of political and social elite.