This is from our DC finalist, Colleen. Comment away!
I call this, One of Official Washington’s Best Kept Secrets.
Though Washington is replete with official reception spaces, few can match the panache of the State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms, a unique set of museum-like rooms used by the Secretary of State, the Vice President, and Members of the Cabinet to entertain world leaders, foreign officials and American dignitaries. Every year over 80,000 guests attend official luncheons, receptions and dinners in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms. Fortunately for those of us unlikely to be invited to a State dinner any time soon, the rooms can also be visited simply by signing up for one of the three daily public tours....
When the Diplomatic Reception Rooms opened in 1961, they featured wall-to-wall carpeting, brown plywood-paneled walls, and acoustical ceilings- a far cry from the current elegant setting that houses an unmatched collection of early American art and furniture valued at over $90 million. This remarkable transformation from glorified office space to 18th century architectural masterpiece took place under the guidance of Edward Vason Jones, a self-educated neoclassical architect from Albany, GA.
There are eight Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the State Department, though you won’t be able to wander through all of them on the tour. Each room contains a selection of classic early American art, furniture and accessories. Some of my favorite pieces from the collection include a silver tea service once owned by lexicographer Noah Webster, a writing table where Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay signed the Treaty of Paris, and a silver bowl crafted by Paul Revere.
Want to check out the space for yourself? You can make a reservation to tour the Diplomatic Reception Rooms online or by calling 202-647-3241. The 45-minute guided tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 2:45 pm. Because the rooms are often in use, the availability of tours is dependent on an ever-changing schedule of official events- I recommend checking the online calendar before submitting your tour request. The tour is not recommended for children under 12 and strollers are not permitted. With advance notice, the Department can provide wheelchairs, sign language interpreters, and even foreign language interpreters (subject to availability).
(all pictures courtesy of www.state.gov)
- Colleen
(Thanks, Colleen!)
Reader Vote:
As a DC resident, I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I'm definitely going to take the tour -- thanks for a great recommendation and a wonderful post! Best kept secret indeed!
view fourwalls's profile
Great post about a part of our American Decorative history that I doubt many folks have ever heard of.
view bepsf's profile
Informative, good photo selection, interesting and local. Great job!
view J.L's profile
Now THAT's a before and after transformation.
view jen_g's profile
Excellent post about an interesting place- all the years I've lived in DC and I've never even heard of this tour! This is definitely one to add to my list...
Voting buttons don't seem to be working though?
view mcq's profile
who knew? this is the first of the dc blog posts that i learned something new.
view peaceyall's profile
Great post. I had no idea -- and I've lived in DC for awhile. The fact that these are in (I assume) the very institutional looking Dept. of State building makes hem even more interesting.
view hillgirl's profile
It is a fantastic space, I found it more impressive than the White House (so tiny in real life!) A great place to impress people when they come to town.
view MB_in_DC's profile
Awesome post! I didn't know about this. I also like that it's such a different style of decoration from most of what's featured on AT.
view Jenny in DC's profile
We are thinking of DC for our anniversary this year. Will add this tour to the list! Great job and good luck!
view AndreaU's profile
This definitely sounds like a well-kept secret since so many DCers here have never heard of it. Great post and great find on a truly local experience!
I wanted to vote three cupcakes, but that button isn't working for me...
view oldmanbl's profile
As a DC-ophile from far away, I found this post fascinating. Who knew? (Not many people, apparently.) I'm so glad Colleen included the before and after pics -- so telling. The before looks like a typical basement "rumpus room" of the 1960s. The after is an incredible transformation.
Thanks for telling us about this, Colleen! (Too bad the top vote is just three cupcakes...)
view smallcitybeth's profile
Voting button isn't working for me either. Conspiracy?
Yet another thing I didn't know about in DC--Colleen, you're amazing!
view Christine (the one in DC)'s profile
Next time I'm in D.C. I'll be sure to check these out. It's true the size of the rooms at the White House is smaller than most people expect, but that's because it's a real house, not a palace.
Edward Vason Jones' challenge problem at the State Department seems to be just the opposite: how to make gargantuan, architecturally undistinguished spaces feel like something more than a series of hotel ballrooms with antiques, and judging by these photos, it looks like his biggest weakness is his ceilings. In the first room, the ceiling's ornament looks timid & fussy, unrelated to the crispness of the paneled walls & the bold outlines of the furniture, and in the second, he goes the other way: the massive cove & its heavy entablature seem to be slowly crushing the rest of the room. That dainty, pasted-on Adamesque medallion does nothing to lighten the ceiling's visual weight and seems to have come from another room entirely.
Nevertheless, down at floor level, with the right lighting, these rooms probably look very handsome. Certainly, their contents are interesting. It's just too bad the photos are so bad. With their harsh & unmodulated flash lighting, these look like crime scene shots. Where's Derry Moore when you need him?
Magnaverde.
view magnaverde's profile
I'm another 3 cupcake voter who can't vote for some reason- can AT add our votes in manually somehow?
Too bad I never knew that the State Department allowed tours of these rooms when I lived in DC- it would have been a great place to send guests. Thanks Colleen for sharing this hidden gem! I've really enjoyed all these great DC posts...
view colgankc's profile
Wanted to give a 3 cupcake but couldn't vote - I have seen the rooms and they are impressive - the review made me go back and check out a couple of the mentioned aspects.
view GeckoMastiffs's profile
I can't select 3 cupcakes either, and this post definitely deserves it! The left column of ads is covering some of the center column for me- I wonder it that is the problem? Strange though that it is only affecting some people...
I think this is a great post about a really interesting space that it seems most folks have never heard of before- is exactly the type of local insight readers are looking for here on AT. Excellent choice and excellent post Colleen!
view annhenry's profile
i learned something. go dc!
view SD913's profile
Wow! this is the real thing. If I gave any less than three cupcakes it would be because I ate one of them. Too bad the button isn't working.
..........3 cupcakes for sure!!!
view The Mover's profile
Very informative. Maybe--just maybe one of these day I can get away and visit DC!
view babycakesboutique's profile
gosh thanks everyone- I guess this really is one of DC's best kept secrets! I have to say, I'm another person who can't vote for me- I wonder why this is only affecting a few of us?
view Colleen in DC's profile
All those years in DC and I never knew! I'll have to visit next time.
view mdparis's profile
I've been on a tour of these rooms and I highly recommend it if you get the chance. Some of the individual pieces are really special, and of course the rooms themselves are pretty wonderful, too!
view h_vane's profile