Anderson House

Anderson House Review

A palatial home that's a mystery even to many longtime Washingtonians, Anderson House isn't an embassy, though it does have a link to that world. Larz Anderson was a diplomat from 1891 to 1913 and his career included postings to Japan and Belgium. Anderson and his heiress wife, Isabel, toured the world, picking up objects that struck their fancy. They filled their residence, which was constructed for them in 1905, with the booty of their travels. Visitors to Anderson House will receive a guided tour of the first and second floors, gorgeously furnished with the Andersons' eclectic collection of furniture, tapestries, paintings, sculpture, historic artifacts, and Asian art, and will learn about entertaining in Gilded Age Washington. Among the highlights of the house are several floor-to-ceiling murals that reveal the splendor of the era as well as the Andersons' patriotism and pastimes. The house also regularly displays temporary exhibitions.