History of the House
The Whittemore House has been at the hub of Washington, DC history and politics for decades. It was designed and built as a private residence between 1892 and 1894 by architect Harvey Page. Harvey built the house on behalf of Sarah Adams Whittemore, a direct descendent of John and Henry Adams, who was an opera singer – The acoustics in the house are unmatched.
Several well-known occupants have lived in the house. In 1903 Senator John F. Dryden (1839- 1911), a Republican from New Jersey and one of the founders of Prudential Insurance Company, rented the building. Dryden was a member of Congress from 1902 to 1907. The best-known tenant was banker John W. Weeks (1860-1926), a Republican Congressman from Massachusetts (1905-1913), who leased the Whittemore House from 1907 to 1911. Later he was elected a Senator from Massachusetts (1913 to 1919) and served as Secretary of War under Harding and Coolidge (1921 to 1925). Mrs. Whittemore died in 1907, and left the property to her son and daughter. Her son, Walter D. Wilcox, an explorer, travel author, and photographer, moved his family into the home in 1919, living in the mansion until 1926. The house has been known as the Weeks House and as the Wilcox House in its history.
Today, the Whittemore House hosts the Women’s National Democratic Club, who purchased the house in 1927, and continues to be at the forefront of women’s empowerment. The House was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1973 and was granted museum status in 2000. It is a space for individuals of all backgrounds and hosts a variety of events from conferences to personal milestones to weddings.
Sarah Adams Whittemore
The Women
Behind the House
While Mrs. Whittemore was the first woman to utilize the Whittemore House, she was by no means the last. The House has always celebrated women and empowered them to raise their voices, whether that be in song or in speech.
After Sarah Whittemore’s first husband passed away, she sought a space that would allow her to practice her opera while also housing her new family alongside William Clarke Whittemore, whom she married in 1883. Sarah died in December 1907, but her home continued to be at the forefront of history in Washington DC.
A number of notable residents lived in the house after Sarah’s death up until 1927, when the house was purchased by the Women’s National Democratic Club. Emily Newell Blair, another key female figure of the House, founded the WNDC in 1922, just two years after women were granted the right to vote. Blair oversaw the organization of more than a thousand clubs for Democratic women throughout the country. She also established political schools, hoping to revitalize the party through a well-informed women’s electorate. When the WNDC purchased the Whittemore House, it immediately became a place for women to make history.
The Library in the Whittemore House, located on the second floor, is where Eleanor Roosevelt gave many of her radio addresses in the 1960s. Mrs. Roosevelt was a critical voice in the fight for human rights throughout her life. She also gave several women-only press conferences in the Library during an era when women journalists faced severe discrimination. Throughout history, the Whittemore House has been a home for female leaders and their missions.
