A private owner spent $19 million on the historic building that used to hold ancient rugs and textiles now housed on campus in the GW Museum and Textile Museum, according to a University release.
The building’s S Street location, nestled in D.C.’s Kalomara neighborhood, housed The Textile Museum for nearly 90 years before moving to campus last year and to a facility more than double the size.
The funds from the sale will go to the Textile Museum’s endowment, which supports its operations and collections, University spokeswoman Maralee Csellar said. The real estate broker Weichert Realtors represented the buyer in the sale. The buyer was not named in the release.
The S Street structure was built by architect John Russell Pope and commissioned by the building’s owner, George Myers, a businessman who intended to use it as his home. Pope designed other famous structures around D.C., like the National Archives building and the Jefferson Memorial, according to the release.
Construction began on the home in 1912 and was completed by 1915, according to the release. The Textile Museum opened at the location in 1925 and was closed in 2013 to move to its current location on G and 21st streets. The building is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Long before his death, George Hewitt Myers was acutely aware that the museum’s collection had outgrown the space provided and was thinking of moving from S Street as a way to enhance the financial resources of the museum,” Bruce Baganz, the president of The Textile Museum Board of Trustees, said in the release. “Mr. Myers would be delighted that his vision continues and The Textile Museum’s sustainability is ensured for generations to come.”
This post was updated to reflect the following correction:
Due to an editing error, The Hatchet incorrectly reported that the real estate broker Coldwell Banker represented the buyer in the sale of the S Street building. Coldwell Banker actually represented the seller, and real estate broker Weichert Realtors represented the buyer. We regret this error.
