Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse

Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse in 2008
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Location	131 M Street, NE Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°54′19.6669″N 77°0′18.0684″W
Built	1937–39
Architect	Abbott, Merkt & Company
Architectural style	Streamline Moderne
NRHP reference No.	05000046[1]
Added to NRHP	February 15, 2005

The Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse is a historic warehouse located in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was designated a District of Columbia Historic Landmark in 1993,^[2] and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.^[3] The building is visible from the NoMa–Gallaudet U Metro station.

History

The warehouse was designed by Abbot, Merkt & Company, a group of architects noted for their work in designing warehouses, and was constructed between 1937 and 1939. Built to incorporate areas for service, storage, and delivery, it is one of the few examples of such a mixed-use warehouse still extant in the Washington area. The structure is considered to be the most ambitious warehouse built in the area before World War II, and is one of the city's largest warehouses.^[2][4] The property was owned by Woodward & Lothrop until the company foundered in 1995. It was subsequently taken over by the Bristol Group, a San Francisco-based company, and converted to office space. Tenants include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,^[5] the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,^[6] United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,^[6] the United States Department of Homeland Security,^[6] and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.^[7]

Architecture

Tower on the roof

Architecturally, the building is considered notable because it was constructed in the Streamline Moderne style; unusually for a warehouse, its design was not meant to be merely utilitarian. According to the District's Historic Preservation Office, it was this "highly refined architectural expression unusual for [a] utilitarian structure" that led, in part, to its recognition as a historic structure.^[4][8]

One of the most prominent features of the building is its large pink neon sign, identifying it as a Woodward & Lothrop property, which remains on the building's exterior. There are no plans to remove the sign, as it is considered an integral part of the building's historic nature.^[8]

Along with the Lothrop Mansion, the warehouse is one of two D.C. Historic Landmarks directly associated with now-defunct department store chain Woodward & Lothrop.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.
• Hecht Company Warehouse

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "Woodward and Lothrop Service Warehouse". Cultural Tourism DC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
3. "27th Annual Report: To the Council of the District of Columbia on the Implementation of the D.C. Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act of 1978" (PDF). District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office. Georgetown Law Library. April 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
4. "District of Columbia - Inventory of Historic Sites" (PDF). Government of the District of Columbia. September 1, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
5. "Contact EEOC". www.eeoc.gov. Archived from the original on 2003-06-04.
6. Castro, Melissa (February 3, 2009). "Department of Homeland Security signs lease in One NoMa Station".
7. Krouse, Sarah (June 10, 2009). "New GSA leases, tenants".
8. John Kelly (December 12, 2005). "Answer Man: D.C.'s Landmark Warehouses". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2009.