American Federation of Labor Building, National Historic Landmark building on Massachusetts Avenue, Washington D.C.
The American Federation of Labor Building is a seven-story structure built from brick and limestone located on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C. The building displays five bays along the avenue and eight bays facing 9th Street in a clear urban design.
The building opened in 1916 as the national headquarters of the American Federation of Labor and continued in this role until 1955. During these decades, it was the center where major labor negotiations took place and worker protections were advanced.
The building served as a gathering point for labor leaders and workers seeking to improve workplace conditions across the country. Its presence on Massachusetts Avenue established this area as important ground for workers' rights movements and organizing.
The building sits at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and 9th Street NW and is easily spotted from the street. Today it functions as part of the Washington Marriott Marquis complex while keeping its original exterior design intact.
The land where this building stands once held slave quarters before construction began in 1916. This transformation from a place of forced labor to a center fighting for workers' rights marks a significant shift in the site's meaning.
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