Sedgwick Gardens
Encyclopedia
Sedgwick Gardens, located at 3726 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, is an apartment building on the southwest corner of Connecticut Avenue and Sedgwick Street in Northwest Washington D.C. It is located two blocks from the Cleveland Park Metro
. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
, and is a good example of an Art Deco
porte-cochere
in Washington.
apartment complexes in Washington.
Its entrance has been designed so that the eye of any visitor is drawn upward toward of a pair of high relief female figures, a pair of bas-relief male figures, and further toward the rose window
on the massive square elevator tower in the background. White brick bands within the red brick facade line the main and top floors while shorter white bands lay just below each floors’ windows. Triangular projecting sculptured panels and niches that hold wrought iron
deco railings interrupt a peculiar cornice
treatment, and additional light and air for most of the apartments are provided by the encirclement of two dozen projecting bays. The building represents an exceptional double-U design.
doors, brass
hardware, and limestone
-marble
in the octagonal lobby. Two dozen Moorish-style arches and columns, the six-sided skylight, and the restored octagonal fountain enhance the space. In the center rear of the lobby a small staircase leads to the first floor, just up half a story. In the style of the 1930s, dinettes replaced the large formal dining rooms in all 120 apartments. Originally each of these, including the one-bedrooms, contained a Murphy bed
, but today only a few remain.
In the current day, renovations continue to be made by its owners, DARO Realty, Inc., and in particular, attention has been paid to upgrade kitchens while still striving to preserve the apartments’ original architectural elements. The restoration included restoration architects and artisans to ensure that the original character of the building has been retained. The exterior, lobby and hallways have all been restored.
Of particular note is the recent renovation of the lobby complete with marble and limestone floors, Moorish-style arches and columns, octagonal water fountain, and enormous hexagonal skylight that allows plenty of natural light.
, which date to World War II
, abut the park to the apartment building’s western property line. The War brought many changes. The basement storeroom was cleared to make room for an air raid shelter and tenants donated carpets, furniture, and canned goods to fix it up. After the War, a self-service elevator was installed and many changes have continued to occur over the years, but the buildings old charm survives. Most of the cabana doors are still intact and date back to the 1930s when architect Mihran Mesrobian
designed the building. Although every apartment today has air conditioning units, there are louver
ed doors, which are screen-like, allowing ventilation to the halls and between apartments. Today the site of the Victory Gardens has been reconstructed to accommodate the grounds parking lot.
Cleveland Park (Washington Metro)
Cleveland Park is a rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Located in the neighborhood of the same name in Washington, D.C., it opened on December 5, 1981.-Location:...
. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and is a good example of an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
in Washington.
Overview
Sedgwick Gardens was constructed by Max Gorin of the Southern Construction Company in 1931 for $500,000, and in 1932 opened as a rental apartments building and is currently distinguished as one of the Historical DistrictHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
apartment complexes in Washington.
Its entrance has been designed so that the eye of any visitor is drawn upward toward of a pair of high relief female figures, a pair of bas-relief male figures, and further toward the rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
on the massive square elevator tower in the background. White brick bands within the red brick facade line the main and top floors while shorter white bands lay just below each floors’ windows. Triangular projecting sculptured panels and niches that hold wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
deco railings interrupt a peculiar cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
treatment, and additional light and air for most of the apartments are provided by the encirclement of two dozen projecting bays. The building represents an exceptional double-U design.
Building
The interiors of Sedgwick Gardens include solid mahoganyMahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
doors, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
hardware, and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
-marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
in the octagonal lobby. Two dozen Moorish-style arches and columns, the six-sided skylight, and the restored octagonal fountain enhance the space. In the center rear of the lobby a small staircase leads to the first floor, just up half a story. In the style of the 1930s, dinettes replaced the large formal dining rooms in all 120 apartments. Originally each of these, including the one-bedrooms, contained a Murphy bed
Murphy bed
A Murphy Bed , also called a wall bed, pull down bed or fold-down bed is a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall, or inside a closet or cabinet. To achieve this, the mattress is attached to the bed frame, often with elastic straps. Mulrphy beds are used for space-saving...
, but today only a few remain.
In the current day, renovations continue to be made by its owners, DARO Realty, Inc., and in particular, attention has been paid to upgrade kitchens while still striving to preserve the apartments’ original architectural elements. The restoration included restoration architects and artisans to ensure that the original character of the building has been retained. The exterior, lobby and hallways have all been restored.
Of particular note is the recent renovation of the lobby complete with marble and limestone floors, Moorish-style arches and columns, octagonal water fountain, and enormous hexagonal skylight that allows plenty of natural light.
Grounds
The Victory GardensVictory garden
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply...
, which date to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, abut the park to the apartment building’s western property line. The War brought many changes. The basement storeroom was cleared to make room for an air raid shelter and tenants donated carpets, furniture, and canned goods to fix it up. After the War, a self-service elevator was installed and many changes have continued to occur over the years, but the buildings old charm survives. Most of the cabana doors are still intact and date back to the 1930s when architect Mihran Mesrobian
Mihran Mesrobian
Mihran Mesrobian was a Turkish-born Armenian who immigrated to the United States and became a prominent architect in the Washington, D.C. area.-Career:...
designed the building. Although every apartment today has air conditioning units, there are louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed doors, which are screen-like, allowing ventilation to the halls and between apartments. Today the site of the Victory Gardens has been reconstructed to accommodate the grounds parking lot.