Patterson Mansion

The Patterson Mansion is a historic Neoclassical-style mansion located at 15 Dupont Circle NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was built by Robert Wilson Patterson, editor of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and used by him and his family for entertaining when he was in the city. Completed in 1903, it was deeded to the American Red Cross in 1948. The Red Cross sold it to the Washington Club in 1951. The structure was renovated and a small, two-story addition added in 1955. As of December 2013, the property was up for sale after plans to convert it into a boutique hotel fell through. In June 2014, the Washington Club sold the Mansion for $20 Million to developer SB-Urban. The Washington Club sold the property because "it is disbanding and no longer needs the space, according to John Matteo, an attorney at Jackson & Campbell, who represented the club in the sale."The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 5, 1972. It is a contributing property to both the Dupont Circle Historic District and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District .ConstructionThe Dupont Circle siteWashington, D.C., was founded in 1789. The L'Enfant Plan established the route of Massachusetts Avenue in the city, and called for the construction of a traffic circle named "Pacific Circle" where Dupont Circle is today. Massachusetts Avenue ended a short distance after passing Sheridan Circle until a bridge over Rock Creek was completed in 1904. Much of Massachusetts Avenue NW passed through marshy areas that restricted development, and this included the area around Dupont Circle. After the American Civil War, several large mansions were built around Dupont Circle as much of the area was still forested and afforded privacy.