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The Woodward & Lothrop Building in downtown
Washington, D.C. fills nearly the entire city
block bounded by 10th and 11th Streets and F
and G Streets. The handsome building is significant
historically and architecturally and has stood
as a prominent city landmark for over a century.
The Woodward &
Lothrop Company, for which this building is named, began
as a dry good store in 1880. In 1887, the company moved
to the newly constructed Carlisle Building on the northeast
corner of 11th and F Streets, establishing itself as
the second major store on what was to become a vibrant
F street retail corridor. Woodward & Lothrop –
or “Woodies” as it is fondly called to this
day – was one of the first department stores
in the country. The original store was so successful
that, through the remainder of the 19th century,
the company expanded into existing buildings along
F Street and constructed annexes on both 10th and
11th Streets.
The Woodward & Lothrop Building, as it stands today,
was built in several phases over the first quarter of
the 20th century. In 1902, nationally known architect
Henry Ives Cobb designed the G Street building, eight
stories of cast iron, brick, and stone, which represented
the latest in fireproof building technology for its
time. From 1912 to 1913, two more eight-story buildings
were built to increase frontage along F Street. In 1925,
Woodward & Lothrop architect Linden Kent Ashford
added a center building that fronted on both 10th and
11th Streets and connected the existing structures to
the north and south. In 1926, Ashford completed the
final eight-story building to replace the original Carlisle
Building. This final real estate project created a single,
internally connected Woodward & Lothrop Building
that occupied the entire square with the exception
of the small brick building at the corner of 10th
and F Streets, which had been built in 1899.
The Woodward & Lothrop Building was the flagship
store for the company until it vacated the building
in 1995. Several renovations and upgrades have been
undertaken since 1926, including the current extensive
rehabilitation that will return the building to its
historic appearance and place it back in service
for retail and office tenants.
About this Project:
- 10 Stories of Retail and Office
- Seven Floors Premier Office Space of 356,000 Square Feet
- First Office Tenant - Environmental
Protection Agency, Leased Entire Third Floor
- First Class Lobby Design
- Total Square Footage is 497,268
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