F Street House
To be a part of the vibrant life of the university, President Granberg lives in the F Street House on the Foggy Bottom Campus with her wife, Sonya. The classic Georgian brick mansion is located at 1925 F Street and has long been the residence of the university president.
A Home of History and Ideas
If the classic Georgian brick mansion at 1925 F Street could talk, it would have quite a story to tell.
Within the walls of its famed salon, presidents welcomed dignitaries, policymakers talked strategy, first ladies hosted receptions, politicians debated issues, and journalists discussed the day’s headlines. Originally a private residence, the property became the famed F Street Club for Washington’s elite in the early 20th century. The beautiful front door was once known as “the most difficult door to open in Washington” due to its exclusivity—not even the members knew precisely who belonged.
After the club closed in 1999, it served as the GW Alumni House and, starting in 2008, became the official home for George Washington University presidents.
From Private Residence, to
Military Office, to the F Street Club
The house was built in 1849 for a U.S. Navy captain. By 1861, the country was at war, and Washington, DC, was transformed into Union Army headquarters. The Office of the Commissary-General occupied the space from 1862-1867. The house was later sold to a Georgetown businessman in 1868.
From 1924 until 1933, the home was leased to Laura Curtis, who often entertained members of Washington society. In April 1933, during the Depression and the height of Prohibition, Curtis turned the parlor level into a dinner and social club and began charging a membership fee. The famed F Street Club was born.
A Washington Institution
Washington’s social chronicles reveal that many of the 20th century’s leading political and cultural figures dined at the F Street Club. It was so much a part of the Washington scene that in 1938, The Washington Star reported, “...members feel that the 1925 F Street Club is just about as permanent as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin every spring.”
Diplomats, assured of privacy in the old mansion, took up matters of international import. The founding of NATO, relations with the Soviet Union, and ownership of the Panama Canal were all discussed inside the salon’s walls. Famous journalists such as Clare Boothe Luce, Time magazine editor Henry Grunwald, and The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham all favored the club. Eleanor Roosevelt called it “a charming house, which lends itself well to meetings and parties.” Jackie Kennedy attended a cocktail party in her honor at the club, and in 1969, an inaugural party for Richard Nixon was held there.
GW Continues the Tradition
GW continues the F Street Club tradition after purchasing the property in 1974. Presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton have attended club events.
Ronald and Nancy Reagan host a candlelight dinner party at the F Street House before moving into the White House.
The mansion is added to the National Register of Historic Places for its Greek Revival details, early use of terra cotta, and its rich social history.
While once one of the most prominent private clubs in the area, the F Street Club experiences a steady decrease in membership and closes. Staying true to the mansion's tradition as a place for friends to gather and share ideas, GW rededicates the building as its Alumni House.
The historic structure undergoes renovations to preserve its distinguished heritage and incorporate "green" sustainability measures. It becomes home to Steven Knapp, the first GW president to have permanent residence on the Foggy Bottom campus. It has since housed Presidents Thomas LeBlanc and Mark S. Wrighton.
President Ellen M. Granberg took residence in 2023. She continues to uphold the legacy of the F Street House as a gathering place for spirited dialogue among faculty, students, alumni, scholars, and global leaders on issues of social, cultural, and intellectual importance to the university and the world beyond.