Time travelers step into the heart of history. Before you stands The Maples. This isn’t just a house. It’s a living testament to Washington DC’s past. The Maples is the oldest surviving home on Capitol Hill. Built between 1795 and 1796 it’s a remarkable Georgian-style structure.
Imagine William Mayne Duncanson a prosperous merchant. He commissioned this masterpiece. The architect William Lovering crafted a two-story brick house. A detached outbuilding served as slave quarters and a carriage house. George Washington himself dined here. He reportedly called it “a fine house in the woods”.
The Maples survived the War of 1812. It briefly functioned as a hospital after the Battle of Bladensburg. Ownership changed hands many times. Francis Scott Key the author of the Star-Spangled Banner even owned it. Major Augustus A Nicholson a prominent Marine Corps officer lived here. His wife’s tragic suicide is said to still haunt the house.
John M Clayton a Delaware Senator added a grand ballroom. The renowned artist Constantino Brumidi decorated it. Later Count Louis François de Pourtalès added a mysterious wine cellar. Rumor says it’s 42 feet deep and lost to time. Emily Edson Briggs the first female White House correspondent gave the house its name “Maple Square”.
In 1936 The Maples became Friendship House. It served as a community center. Architect Horace Peaslee renovated it. Sadly he removed the ballroom and Brumidi’s artwork. The Maples continued to serve the city’s disadvantaged youth until 2010.
Today The Maples is a private residence. It stands as a symbol of enduring history. A place where the whispers of presidents enslaved people and artists still linger. A reminder of the constant changes in this vibrant city. A remarkable piece of DC’s ever evolving story. This house stands as a true testament. It embodies the enduring spirit of Washington DC.