Arts Club of Washington

The Arts Club of Washington is a private club formed in 1916 to promote the arts in Washington, D.C. It has the distinction of being headquartered in two historically significant buildings that are next door to one another, each built in a separate 19th century architectural style.

Cleveland Abbe House, which stands at 2017 I St. NW, was designed by architect Timothy Caldwell and built in 1805. It is a Federal period known by many names owing to its long lineage of famous residents.

One famous resident of the house was U.S. Secretary of War and President, James Madison. He lived at the house between 1811-1817. His residency was extended while the White House was being restored after the War of 1812.

Historian Henry Adams also lived in the house in 1860-1861 with his parents. 

The house is officially known as Cleveland Abbe House, named for the famed meteorologist who founded the National Weather Service and lived here from 1877 until 1909, but owned the house until his death in 1916.

The house has been referred to by some as Timothy Caldwell house after its builder and first resident. Others elect to call it Monroe-Adams-Abbe House to bridge three of its most prominent residents.

Directly next door at 2015 I St. NW., is General Robert McFeely House, built around 1860 in the Victorian Eclectic style. McFeely was Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General who continued to serve in that military role until his retirement in 1890.

General Robert McFeely House was joined to the Cleveland Abbe House in 1929 to form the Arts Club headquarters.

The club awards the Marfield Prize (also known as the National Award for Arts Writing) for nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience each year.