Brodhead-Bell-Morton Mansion

The Brodhead-Bell-Morton Mansion is a four-story residence on Rhode Island Avenue featuring limestone exterior walls, arched windows, and a covered carriage entrance. The building displays refined details including decorative stonework and carved shell ornaments in the Beaux-Arts style.

The building began as a Queen Anne style structure but underwent a major redesign in 1912 by architect John Russell Pope. Pope transformed the exterior into the refined Beaux-Arts style for Vice President Levi Morton.

The mansion housed influential residents including inventors and members of Congress before becoming the Hungarian Embassy in 2016. This diplomatic function now shapes how people perceive and use the building in the embassy district.

The mansion sits northeast of Scott Circle near public transportation and other historic buildings. As an active embassy, the interior is not open to visitors, but the exterior can be viewed from the street.

The building served as headquarters for the National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association from 1939 to 2016 before becoming a diplomatic facility. This long industrial history is less well known than its current embassy function.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1879

Architects: John Fraser, John Russell Pope

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

Address: 1500 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

GPS coordinates: 38.90746,-77.03505

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:20