Meridian Book Preview — Grounds of Diplomacy: A History, A Place, A Mission

MERIDIAN T

o

commemorate

its 60th anniversary, Meridian In-

ternational Center is looking back on the evolution of its work, its historic campus in Washington and its place

in welcoming the international community to the nation’s capital. Orig-

inally home to two accomplished

M

American ambassadors and the in-

eridian is a nonpartisan,

fluential Eugene Meyer family, the

non-

White-Meyer House and Merid-

profit diplomacy

ian House that make up Meridian’s

center that strengthens engagement

campus have long served as a space

between the United States and the

for bringing global leaders together.

world through diplomacy, leadership

These two residential jewels on Cres-

and culture to solve shared global

cent Place, built in the early 1900s

challenges. For the last 60 years, Me-

and designed by renowned architect

ridian has partnered with the U.S.

John Russell Pope, form a city block

government, businesses and the diplo-

of supreme historic and architectural

matic community on three core pillars

interest in a neighborhood defined

of programs: global leadership, culture

by its position along the Washing-

and collaboration. Meridian’s global

ton meridian line and once charac-

leadership programs develop the next

terized as the ‘diplomatic quarter of

generation of global leaders through

Washington.’ Through over a centu-

exchange and training programs.

ry’s worth of compelling photographs

Meridian uses the arts and culture to

and imagery, Grounds of Diplomacy: A

connect people around the world and

History, A Place, A Mission pays trib-

bridge divides and promotes collab-

ute to the elegant homes on Crescent

oration to solve global issues. Believ-

Place and celebrates how Meridian’s

ing that the U.S. is stronger at home

when globally engaged, Meridian

equips thousands of leaders with the networks, insights and cultural con-

text essential for non-partisan collaboration on shared challenges and opportunities.

work to advance diplomacy through

Grounds of Diplomacy

a h i s t or y , a p l a c e , a m i s s i o n

leadership, collaboration and culture

upholds the legacy of those who built Meridian Hill into a neighborhood

that has long been influential in the United States’ engagement with the world.

Grounds of Diplomacy a h i s t or y , a p l a ce , a mission

Written and edited by Natalie Shanklin Foreword by Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday Copy-edited by Henry Collins Photography by Stephen Bobb, Jessica Latos and Didi Cutler Design by Nicole Miller Cover art by Peter Waddell

CONTENTS FOREWORD

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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THE RISE OF MERIDIAN HILL 12 The Washington Meridian 14 One Woman’s Vision 20 An American Architect 30 Diplomacy and Design 34 The French Connection 56 THE HOUSES TODAY 80 Meridian House 82 White-Meyer House 108 Grounds and Gardens 124 WHERE WASHINGTON MEETS THE WORLD 134 Washington International Center 136 Embassy of Washington 139 The Campaign for Crescent Place 150 Restoring Meridian House 154 Meridian Today 158 THE MERIDIAN BALL 186 BOARD AND PRESIDENTS 198 NOTES 200

Photo by Didi Cutler

Foreword A meridian is a circle of longitude passing through a given place on the earth’s surface and the geographic poles. Beginning in the early 19th century, one meridian came to define the young capital city of a country that in the centuries to come would reshape the world. When Thomas Jefferson stood on a hill approximately one mile north of the proposed presidential mansion, today’s White House, he surveyed the meridian along which 16th Street runs today. What was once high ground for Native American tribes, farmers, a civil war encampment and elegant private homes and embassies ultimately became the site of Meridian International Center.

Meridian is a product of its location and history and continues to define it. Since 1960, hundreds of thousands of global leaders have gathered, shared insights and explored other cultures at Meridian. The idea is simple: diplomacy matters and leaders who collaborate across international borders can advance shared interests to build a more secure and prosperous world.

Long before Meridian was founded, the people who developed the neighborhood, and those who lived in the homes that today make up our campus, had a global view and an ambitious idea of America’s role in the world.

Mary Henderson’s vision for a diplomatic neighborhood with buildings on par with European capitals reflected her belief that the United States was growing into a global power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The two American Ambassadors, Henry White and Irwin Laughlin, who built the historic homes were professional diplomats who played key roles in the foreign affairs of a United States that was just beginning to engage with the rest of the world. Later Eugene and Agnes Meyer would continue this role as their home became an intellectual and social hub for Washington’s civic, media and diplomatic elites. The former residents of Meridian House and the White-Meyer House held a deep commitment to diplomacy that would not end with retirement but would carry forward as their homes became a gathering place for world leaders.

The modern journey of our institution begins in 1960, when the American Council on Education was searching for an iconic building to serve as America’s gateway for international visitors in the post-World War II era and the Ford Foundation provided the funds to acquire Meridian House. In the late 1980s, Meridian acquired the White-Meyer House, unifying the two John Russell Pope-designed houses that in many ways were always a natural pair. Though distinct in architectural style, the two homes were constructed along the same plane-both boasting grand views of the city-almost as if Pope had known of their future purpose as a united international campus.

As Meridian celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are proud of the role the organization has played in bringing the world together and we are excited about its future. I am pleased that this book not only celebrates the history of Meridian and its splendid architecture, but also shows the enduring value of our mission. As we chart a course for the future, the nature of our challenges in the world may change, but U.S. global engagement will always be critical in solving them. This special place has been a keystone in that engagement, providing a neutral forum for the exchange of ideas, educating and connecting future global leaders, and bringing cultures closer together.

We hope you will enjoy this unique story and be inspired to engage with and support Meridian. I would like to thank all those who have helped Meridian in the past and will guide us in the future, including trustees, staff, friends and supporters. I would especially like to thank Natalie Shanklin, Megan Devlin, Natalie Jones and Lee Satterfield who turned the vision for Grounds of Diplomacy into a reality.

Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday

President and CEO of Meridian International Center Photo by Didi Cutler

Acknowledgments

We are profoundly grateful to the following supporters

for their generous contributions in support of this book.

BENEFACTOR

Philip C. Lauinger, Jr. PATRON

Donald E. Graham LINDEN CIRCLE

Manisha and Roy Kapani Annie Simonian Totah The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation William T. Bennett

TERRACE CIRCLE

Polly W. Lefaivre Hongxia Liu

The Honorable Kenneth Bentsen and Mrs. Tamra Bentsen The Honorable Dwight Bush and Mrs. Antoinette Bush Vicki Davis and James G. Davis, Jr. in recognition of Edwin W. Davis, General Contractor of Meridian House and White-Meyer House

Drs. Ainsley MacLean and Bruce Wollman Mr. and Mrs. F. Joseph Moravec The Honorable Sam Nunn and Mrs. Colleen Nunn

Gretchen M. Ehle

Albert H. Small

Karyn H. Frist

The Honorable William Webster and Mrs. Lynda Webster

The Honorable Fred Hochberg and Mr. Tom Healy

Page and David Winstead

Dr. James Kanski

theGroup

Bonnie A. Larson

Neil Cohen and District Photo

Deborah Taylor Ashford Tracy and Adam Bernstein

SUPPORTERS

Dr. Andrea Giacometti and Mr. Ross Vincenti

The Honorable Don Beyer and

Admiral Jay Johnson, Ret. and

Carter Brown

Natalie Jones and Patrick Hallahan

Mrs. Megan Beyer Sean Cahill

Photo by Didi Cutler Following photo by Stephen Bobb

Mrs. Sydney Johnson

Kier and Justin Peterson

Robin Phillips Lee Satterfield and Patrick Steel The Honorable Ann Stock and Mr. Stuart Stock

Mrs. Togo D. West, Jr.

THE RISE OF MERIDIAN HILL

The Washington Meridian

W

hile Meridian Hill today is home to apartment build-

the early 1800s, as the newly founded United States sought to estab-

Washington’s most popular parks, the neighborhood’s

try to set its own geographic and scientific standards and

ings, hotels, churches, foreign embassies, and one of

beginnings reflect a quainter, more idyllic escape from the bustle of

city life. Set just outside the original northern border of the District

as outlined in Pierre L’Enfant’s Plan, Meridian Hill for many decades was not much more than rolling farmland, interrupted only by dusty

roads and grazing livestock. But as the burgeoning city below rose in global importance, it began to look north along the line extending directly from the President’s mansion, toward the hill that would

come to be regarded as an elegant gateway to the nation’s capital.

Little is known about the origins of Meridian Hill or the

lish a distinct national identity, many Americans called for the coun-

campaigned to make the White House longitude the prime meridian of the United States. President Thomas Jefferson had placed a geo-

graphic marker on the knoll just north of the city’s boundary in 1804 to mark the meridian.2 But as international authorities debated

where the longitude should fall, potential for confusion on the high seas forced Washington to abandon the idea and Greenwich was

ultimately chosen. Nevertheless, the ‘White House meridian’ remains central to the geographic and cultural landscape of the capital.

native tribes who first settled it. It wasn’t until after the Revolu-

Commodore David Porter

that the region’s history began to be documented. The land north of

1816 by Commodore David Porter, who settled in Washington fol-

tionary War and establishment of Washington as the new capital

the city’s original border was owned by wealthy Georgetown mer-

chant Robert Peter and was thus known as Peter’s Hill. The neigh-

borhood’s role in the lives of the city dwellers became more vivid in the early 19th century, serving for many years as “the mecca of race course gamblers.”1 Virginian landowner Col. John Tayloe’s Hol-

mead Farm on Meridian Hill was host to thousands at its Washington horse racecourse and served as headquarters to the

once-popular Washington Jockey Club until around 1840, when Tayloe subdivided and sold the property.

Still, the rumble of activity just beyond the city continued to

echo along present-day Sixteenth Street, the original center line of

D.C. that had come to be known as the “Washington meridian.” In

Meridian Hill officially got its name when it was purchased in lowing an impressive naval career. Born in Boston in 1780 into a

family with a five-generation history of distinguished naval service,

Porter entered the Navy in 1798, rising through the ranks to serve as

a lieutenant in the First Barbary War and promoted to captain just as the War of 1812 began to stir the nation. He sailed the USS Essex south from New York, and upon rounding Cape Horn the Essex became the first U.S. naval ship to display American flags in the

Pacific. Porter and his crew soon captured the first British warship of the conflict.3

Porter made his mark on naval history during the war by under-

mining the British whaling industry in the Pacific, which gave the

U.S. a monopoly on the trade that would last until the Civil War. In

Preceding spread

meridian hill, early days

A man gazes out from Meridian Hill Park, under construction, across 16th Street at the White-Meyer House.

washington meridian marker

Tablet on the west wall of Meridian Hill Park, placed in 1923 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate the Washington Meridian marker stone, which was formerly located 52 feet 9 inches west of the tablet. The original two-foot stone was made of iron, with a rounded north edge and a brass sun dial and was placed by Thomas Jefferson.

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

l’enfant’s plan Original plan for the city of Washington, D.C., by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, 1794. The plan stops along the northern Boundary Street, just below the area that would come to be known as Meridian Hill as the city developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

search of more enemy ships, he came across the Marquesas Islands

was taken prisoner and managed to escape, he arrived back in New

renaming it Madison Island and intending to bring its people into

Porter made it to Washington in 1814, just in time to play an

north of Polynesia and took possession of the island of Nuku Hiva,

York, where his countrymen received him with honor.

the “great American family.”4 Though this annexation was never seri-

instrumental role in driving the British out of the city. He was then

as essentially the U.S. Navy’s first imperialist.5 As early as 1815, he

administrative body composed of the most esteemed and accom-

ously pursued, this was an unprecedented act that established Porter

had proposed a naval mission to Japan to open its trade with the

West, a suggestion that influenced the organization of Commodore Matthew Perry’s famous expedition.

Despite his successes in the war, a relentless British attack on

the Essex at Valparaíso, Chile, forced Porter to surrender and flee, but the battle would be remembered as “one of the most desperate and

remarkable in naval history.”6 After one other defeat, in which Porter

appointed as a commissioner of the Navy Board in 1815, a new

plished naval officers. Having accumulated a significant amount of prize money during his adventures at sea and wanting to settle

down on a property “commensurate with his social position,”7 Por-

ter set his sights on the hill one mile due north of the White

House, the highest point in the District. “So rolling was the con-

tour of the meadows that their appeal to the eye of a sailor ashore

was irresistible,”8 and so in 1816, he purchased a 110-acre farm for

THE RISE OF MERIDIAN HILL

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Diplomacy and Design floor plans

Floor plans of the first and second levels of the WhiteMeyer House.

Facing

elevations

Line drawings of the north and south façades of the White-Meyer House, located at 1624 Crescent Place.

J

ohn Russell Pope’s mastery of residential architecture is evident in two stately mansions on Meridian Hill, built side by side on Crescent Place as homes for a pair of accomplished American diplomats.

As Meridian Hill grew into its role as Washington’s first Embassy Row, it began to attract more

globally minded citizens, and in January 1910, Ambassador Henry White, former Ambassador to Italy and

France, purchased a 1.5-acre plot of land just north of Henderson’s Castle and asked Pope to design for him and his wife a grand residence in the Georgian-Italianate Style, with sweeping views of the capital.

The lot was “a most desirable location,”1 just across from the proposed park and near the summit of

Meridian Hill, with vistas to the south so supreme that despite the construction of townhomes in the late

20th century, they have remained unobstructed at the second-floor level. The property had previously been home to Joaquin Miller, an eccentric character from California better known as the “Poet of the Sierras.”

After moving to Washington with the intention of getting involved in politics, he built his rustic-style log

cabin on the property in 1883, only to find Washington too crowded and headed back west two years later.

When Henry White purchased the lot, Miller’s cabin, considered a rare example of vernacular architecture in the city, was preserved and moved to its present location in Rock Creek Park by the California State Society in 1912.

White’s reason for choosing Pope to design his home is not clear, but Pope’s reputation in Washington

at that time had certainly grown after his completion of the Robert R. Hitt house in Dupont Circle, which “set a new standard for residential design in Washington by bringing this cosmopolitan European arrange-

ment to an American house,”2 as well as his involvement in the Lincoln Memorial and Temple of the Scottish Rite commissions. The White home would be his next big project and would reinforce his position as one of the leading residential architects in the city.

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

THE RISE OF MERIDIAN HILL

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foyer, 1929

This foyer is very much as it was originally. Other than two large tapestries beside each staircase (not pictured) that have since been removed, much of the decor remains, including the wrought-iron and marble-topped tables, lighting fixtures and two statues near the top of the stairs that depict Pan, the Roman god of the wild, and Pomona, Roman goddess of fruitful abundance.

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

foyer, 2018 A contemporary view of the Meridian House foyer, decorated with national flags for the 50th Anniversary of the Meridian Ball, which took place October 12, 2018. With the original furnishings, decor, and checkered-tile floor from when the house was first built, the foyer now welcomes leaders from around the world who come to participate in Meridian International Center programming. Photo by Stephen Bobb.

THE RISE OF MERIDIAN HILL

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THE HOUSES TODAY

Meridian House Preceding spread

meridian house

South elevation detail, featuring balcony ironwork with the I.L. initials and the courtyard linden trees in full bloom.

Three sets of arched French doors are separated by large, detailed columns along the rounded courtyard entrance. A Latin inscription mirrors that above the main entrance, reading, “Purior hich aer: late hinc conspectus in urbem,” which translates to “Purer here the air whence we overlook the city.” The quotation is also inscribed on a house at the top of Rome’s Spanish Steps. Photo by Catherine Ann Photography.

entrance court

The street entrance doors are decorated with two spherical door knobs accentuated by a detailed sunflower design and leaf base. Photo by Stephen Bobb.

Facing Front entrance of Meridian House. The entrance is partly masked by a high limestone wall along Crescent Place, which once was sealed by large wooden gates that have been removed. The 12’ 4” oak double doors are framed by an elaborate limestone archway topped with an oculus and keystone resembling a helmeted head that protrudes over the Latin inscription chosen by Ambassador Laughlin for the entrance. It reads “Quo habitat felicitas nil intret mali,” which translates, “Where happiness dwells, evil will not enter.” The entrance court is shaded by a line of linden trees just inside the wall. Photo by Michael and Carina Photography.

THE HOUSES TODAY

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Grounds and Gardens

courtyard fountain

Angled view of the linden courtyard's marble fountain, which anchors the garden and adds to the thoughtful symmetry of the house. It was originally adorned with a bronze cherub that Gertrude Laughlin donated to the Pebble Garden at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, but it has since been replaced with a similar statue, pictured here. The Meridian House garden was heavily influenced by Ambassador Laughlin's own planning and design, and serves as a serene extension of the indoor spaces. Today it is often used for outdoor receptions, recreational events and weddings.

Photo by Jessica Latos.

Facing

linden grove

Full view of the fountain in autumn, looking south through the linden trees. Imported from Europe at the time of the house’s construction, these trees have been meticulously maintained with yearly pruning over the last century, that today costs about $9,000 annually. New linden saplings have been occasionally planted to ensure the longevity of the grove, and there are plans to add five more in the spring of 2020. Photo by Jessica Latos.

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

WHERE WASHINGTON MEETS THE WORLD

Washington International Center

A

t the end of World War II, the United States was truly a global power and found itself in a position to help facilitate international understanding and peace.

Responding to this impulse, the U.S. Department of State greatly expanded its

international exchange programming, with a focus on inviting citizens from Germany and Japan to visit

the U.S. and learn about American culture and democracy. As the number of international visitors to the country grew, the American Council on Education—a nonprofit higher education association behind

the creation of such initiatives as the Fulbright scholarship program and UNESCO—recommended in

1949 that these visitors should receive a brief cultural orientation to American customs and institutions

Preceding spread

welcome to washington Meridian President and CEO Ambassador Stuart Holliday gives remarks at the September 2017 Welcome to Washington reception, a Meridian event that occurs two to three times a year to honor newly appointed ambassadors to the United States. Photo by Stephen Bobb.

at the beginning of their travels in the country. They argued that “a foreign visitor’s understanding of the

Facing

arrival.”1 The State Department accepted this proposal, and thus the Washington International Center

A group of African visitors mingle with American tourists on the steps of the National Archives building. These visitors were enrolled at Washington International Center for an orientation course as preparation for attending colleges and universities in various parts of the United States.

setting to which he comes is powerfully aided if a guided and welcoming hand is extended to him on his was born.

From the beginning, the Washington International Center’s core function was educational. Believing

that understanding other cultures and adjusting to new environments are educational processes,2 the Cen-

ter developed privately administered orientation programs and similar services for international visitors

invited by the U.S. government. Most were grantees under the International Cooperation Administration’s Technical Cooperation program and selected visitors under the International Educational Exchange Service program. All participants were adults, as no youth programs had been designed yet. They pursued

introduction to the united states

short-term, focused programs of study, training and observation that would grow their professional skill-

sets in order to contribute to their country’s development. At the beginning of these programs, the Washington International Center, then based at 1720 Rhode Island Avenue Northwest, would extend a warm

welcome to the visitors with a series of educational and cultural opportunities that allowed them to engage directly with American life and society.

The Center’s early services to visitors included regular weekly programming, such as an overview

called “Introduction to the United States,” a five-day program of high-level lectures, discussions, films and tours that covered topics such as government and politics, the economy, health and welfare issues and civil

liberties and race relations. Experts from the government, universities and the private sector led the discus-

sions, and to complement these informative seminars, the Center maintained a library collection of notable books and articles on the American cultural and political landscape.3

In addition to these formal programs, the Washington International Center also became known for its

citizen-to-citizen approach to cross-cultural learning. Every Tuesday featured an “Open House” program,

“Those who participate in ‘citizen diplomacy’ will gain the real satisfaction of helping to mold a little of the cement which may eventually make the foundations of the world order firm and enduring.”

—Robert B. Knapp, Assistant Director for Educational Programs, Washington International Center

WHERE WASHINGTON MEETS THE WORLD

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

fireside chats, then and now

Left Ambassador Joseph John Jova (right), who served as president of Meridian International Center during the 1980s, speaks with guest Mr. Willy Desaeyere, a member of the Belgian Parliament, in the Meridian House library.

Right The Honorable Carlos M. Gutierrez (left), former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Chairman of the Meridian Board of Trustees, speaks with current U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross at a Meridian event in February 2018 that briefed more than 75 ambassadors and senior members of the diplomatic community on recent tariffs that had been imposed on China. Photo by Stephen Bobb.

WHERE WASHINGTON MEETS THE WORLD 

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“Meridian is the last ball of its kind. It is a survivor of a bygone era, a vision of Washington less as it is today and more as it would like to imagine itself: elegant, serious, sophisticated and united for important issues and causes.”

—Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post

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GROUNDS OF DIPLOMACY A HISTORY, A PLACE, A MISSION

meridian ball, 1969

Scenes from the first annual Meridian Ball, which featured dancing in the Meridian House gallery and a belly dance performance at one of the pre-Ball dinners. The first Ball was chaired by Jane Sloat Ritchie, who later chaired the 50th Meridian Ball in 2018, demonstrating the event’s emphasis on tradition.

Following spreads

meridian ball today

Guests mingle and dance on the White-Meyer terrace and linden courtyard during the 2017 and 2019 Meridian Balls, respectively. Photos by Stephen Bobb.

WHERE WASHINGTON MEETS THE WORLD

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