House of Mercy

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House of Mercy is located at the northwest edge of the Mount Pleasant Historic District on a ridge overlooking the wooded Rock Creek Valley. The building was constructed in a once rural setting, but still retains its “sanctuary” landscape.

Designed by Nathan C. Wyeth in the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style and constructed by Charles A. Langley, House of Mercy was completed in 1911. The style was selected by Cassie Meyer James, House of Mercy’s principal donor, and well-executed by Wyeth, who also designed the MacVeagh House, as well as many other buildings during his time as DC’s Municipal Architect (1934-1946). Notably, Wyeth also designed the White House’s Oval Office. House of Mercy is an early example of the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style in Washington, DC, and this style would be used in the design of several DC residences in the 1910s and 1920s, including at the David Lawrence Residence, now known as the Old Swedish Ambassador’s Residence.

The building is composed of a main block and two wings on the north and south. The main block and wings partially enclose a central courtyard, which is open to the west. The two-story building sits on uneven terrain, which sometimes places the basement partially above-ground. The elevated site is enclosed by a grey fieldstone foundation and retaining wall on its west and east sides (Rock Creek Park and Rosemount Avenue NW, respectively), and a concrete retaining wall, painted with colorful murals, on its south side facing Klingle Road NW.

At the center of the main block is a curvilinear parapet with a large rosette consisting of three concentric rings of brick surrounding a painted emblem reminiscent of a religious medallion. Within this central bay is the main entrance, which faces Rosemount Avenue. The entrance is covered by a tiled, shed roof, which hints at the Craftsman style – one of several styles, along with the Arts and Crafts Movement, that inspired the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission style.

The main block is capped by a hipped roof with protruding eaves. Here, the above-ground basement is visible and is separated from the two upper-stories by a belt cornice. The first story has twelve, tall windows with six-over-six lights, while the second story has fourteen, shorter windows with nine lights.

The south wing’s first story has five, tall windows with decorative iron grills, while the north wing has three stucco-clad chimneys with ornamental covers. Both the iron grills and chimney features are elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Both wings meet at cross wings with curvilinear parapets (the cross wings do not connect, which allows for the courtyard to be open on its west side). A breezeway connects the south cross wing to a single-story cottage, while the north cross wing has a three-story addition (completed in 2005) on its west side.

Established in 1884 by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, House of Mercy (known formally as the Association for the Works of Mercy) was first located in Foggy Bottom. At the time, House of Mercy exclusively served white girls and women in need (e.g., unwed mothers and their babies). Like other services in the city, most charitable organizations were racially segregated. There were at least two homes for Black women and children, including the National Association for the Relief of Destitute Colored Women and Children (later known as the Merriweather Home for Children).

Within a short period of time, House of Mercy had outgrown the space in Foggy Bottom. A new, larger facility finally became a possibility when heiress and philanthropist Cassie Meyer James purchased and donated the land adjacent to Rock Creek Park, as well as the funds for the construction of a new building. At the time, the site was rural and isolated.

24 girls and 17 children became residents of the new facility when it opened in late 1911. Deaconess Lillian M. Yeo, who strictly supervised the house until 1945, wrote a memoir, which included a description of the girls’ activities: “They sew, and when they leave us they have learned to sew well. ...Then they cook, in teams of three—one for the girls and children, one for the staff, while the third is responsible for the kitchen’s tidiness. We bake all our own bread…Then there is our laundry. ‘And we man it,’ as one of our girls recently said.”

In 1946, following a renovation, House of Mercy began to provide short-term care for pregnant girls and unwed mothers and their babies. Ten years later, the Episcopal Church’s National Council issued guidance on integrating the church’s institutions. In 1958, a convention of the Washington Diocese called for racial integration, which led to House of Mercy changing its policy of only serving white girls and women.

Despite House of Mercy’s shift in focus in the 1940s and into the 1950s, the organization’s mission was becoming less relevant as society changed. In turn, enrollment dropped. In 1972, House of Mercy closed.  That same year, it reopened as the Rosemount Infant Day Care Center (also known as El Centro Rosemount) and started serving many Spanish-speaking infants and toddlers. In recent years, many immigrants from Central and South America had settled in Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan. Rosemount Center was the Washington area’s first bilingual daycare center. In 2005, a renovation of the historic building and a modern addition were completed. Over 50 years after its establishment, Rosemount Center continues to serve the surrounding community.

DC Inventory: May 23, 2024
Within Mount Pleasant Historic District