Cosmos Club Warne Ballroom

Washington, DC

The Ballroom is original to the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Townsend, built in 1901. The house and ballroom were designed by Carrère & Hastings, one of the preeminent American firms of the time, and was celebrated in Architectural Record in April 1901. In 1950, the house was purchased by the Cosmos Club, the prominent Washington institution founded in 1878 for men distinguished in science, literature and the arts. Under their stewardship, the ballroom remains one of the most outstanding extant examples of the work of Carrere & Hastings and Allard & Sons.

More than 100 years after its construction, the effects of age on the ballroom finishes became apparent. The cause was moisture infiltration and outdated repair campaigns. MTFA evaluated the conditions of this Louis XV style room with its profusion of gilt and painted ornamental plaster and woodwork, sanguine overdoor paintings, an elaborate coffered ceiling with a central tondo, walls divided into arched bays for windows, doorways and mirrored panels, and oak parquet floor. The restoration efforts aimed to conserve as much historic fabric as possible while preserving the historic character of the room as it was from 1901-1915.