The handsome brick residence at 144 Constitution Ave. NE has been part of American history since the earliest days when the US government moved to Washington. As the Sewall-Belmont House, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 for its role in both the War of 1812 and as the headquarters of the National Woman’s Party (NWP), which was instrumental in the fight for equality of women. In 2016, after the NWP donated the house and property to the National Park Service, President Barack Obama designated it the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, recognizing the NWP for its fight in securing the right of women to vote and protection in the Civil Rights Act as well as other national and international endeavors.

Originally, Robert Sewall purchased the parcel from Daniel Carroll and built the main house in 1800. During the War of 1812, provoked by gunshots thought to be from the Sewall residence, British troops set fire to the house. Several restorations and architectural changes occurred since the fire. In 1922, Senator Porter H. Dale of Vermont purchased the home from the Sewall descendants. In 1929, Dale sold it to the NWP, founded in 1916 by Alice Paul for their headquarters. The property was re-named the Alva Belmont House in honor of Alva Belmont, NWP president from 1920 to 1933. Portraits and sculptures of women associated with the suffrage and equal rights movements are displayed in the house and museum.

Currently used as a museum, gallery and NWP headquarters. I've uploaded a new picture because all the construction materials were gone when we went by it today.

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For more information on this historic sites, go to the restoration society’s web page for the tour at http://chrs.org/historic-sites-tour-2020/

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Perky Supreme Court visitor, posted earlier: