John Lenthall Houses
This pair of houses dates back to about 1800, maintaining much the same Federal style from their original construction.
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The property on which the Lenthall Houses presently stand was once part of the town of "Hamburg" or "Funkstown," owned by German emigrant Jacob Funk, who laid out the town in 1768. The original addresses of the homes were 612 and 614 19th Street NW, but they were moved to 606 and 610 21st NW and restored in the late 1970s. The two red brick Federal houses were probably built around 1800 and, although somewhat altered, they still retain the simple dignity of the period. The house at 610 21st Street was in the possession of the Lenthall family for over a century, and the Arts Club of Washington was founded in the house in 1916.
Constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond, the original houses are two stories high with attic and basement. Designed as a unit, both houses share the same roof and cornice line. The houses retain the name "Lenthall" after John Lenthall, who was Benjamin Latrobe's principal assistant in the construction of the United States Capitol.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: March 16, 1972
