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AT DC: The Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms

This is from our DC finalist, Colleen. Comment away!

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3-27-dc.jpgI 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....

 
 

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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.

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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.

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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

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(Thanks, Colleen!)


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Comments (23)

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!

posted by fourwalls on May 6th 2008 at 1:03pm
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Great post about a part of our American Decorative history that I doubt many folks have ever heard of.

posted by bepsf on May 6th 2008 at 1:05pm
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Informative, good photo selection, interesting and local. Great job!

posted by J.L on May 6th 2008 at 1:32pm
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Now THAT's a before and after transformation.

posted by jen_g on May 6th 2008 at 2:02pm
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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?

posted by mcq on May 6th 2008 at 2:05pm
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who knew? this is the first of the dc blog posts that i learned something new.

posted by peaceyall on May 6th 2008 at 3:20pm
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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.

posted by hillgirl on May 6th 2008 at 4:10pm
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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.

posted by MB_in_DC on May 6th 2008 at 4:41pm
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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.

posted by Jenny in DC on May 6th 2008 at 6:23pm
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We are thinking of DC for our anniversary this year. Will add this tour to the list! Great job and good luck!

posted by AndreaU on May 7th 2008 at 3:09am
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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...

posted by oldmanbl on May 7th 2008 at 3:58am
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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...)

posted by smallcitybeth on May 7th 2008 at 5:17am
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Voting button isn't working for me either. Conspiracy?

Yet another thing I didn't know about in DC--Colleen, you're amazing!

posted by Christine (the one in DC) on May 7th 2008 at 5:52am
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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.

posted by magnaverde on May 7th 2008 at 5:54am
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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...

posted by colgankc on May 7th 2008 at 6:51am
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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.

posted by GeckoMastiffs on May 7th 2008 at 7:07am
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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!

posted by annhenry on May 7th 2008 at 12:50pm
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i learned something. go dc!

posted by SD913 on May 7th 2008 at 3:30pm
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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!!!

posted by The Mover on May 9th 2008 at 10:57am
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Very informative. Maybe--just maybe one of these day I can get away and visit DC!

posted by babycakesboutique on May 9th 2008 at 11:08am
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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?

posted by Colleen in DC on May 9th 2008 at 11:15am
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All those years in DC and I never knew! I'll have to visit next time.

posted by mdparis on May 11th 2008 at 8:47am
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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!

posted by h_vane on May 12th 2008 at 5:19pm
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