LeDroit Park condominium building was once a well-known funeral home

Washington Post

3 days ago

When Washington was a segregated city, Black communities flourished in the Shaw and LeDroit Park neighborhoods, which were centers of jobs, worship and entertainment that revolved around institutions such as Howard University, the Howard Theater and Hall Brothers Funeral Home.
For nearly 80 years, Hall Brothers served generations of families who crossed the transom of the Victorian townhouse on Florida Avenue to pay final respects to loved ones.
Then gentrification arrived and younger Hall family members had no interest in continuing in the funeral business. The business, the last of a half-dozen Black-owned funeral parlors along the U Street-Florida Avenue NW corridor, closed in 2019 and the building was sold. A planned conversion to office space stalled during the pandemic and the building remained vacant and deteriorating. A car ran into the stoop in 2000 and destroyed the brass railings seen in many historic photos of the funeral home.
Enter developer Ethan Arnheim, who bought the property in 2022 and saw an opportunity to preserve many architectural details while creating a seven-unit condominium that offered what many nearby buildings did not: three- and four-bedroom units.
'There is a market for larger units,' Arnheim said. 'D.C. needs more space for families.'
Arnheim, who lives in the neighborhood, decided to 'lean in' to the funeral home history, naming the building Washington's Farewell Address as an homage to the city, the first U.S. president and the many farewells that took place in the building.
As part of the LeDroit Park Historic District, the building's historic facade had to be maintained, which presented a few challenges, including restoring the unusual curved glass windows.
Arnheim invested in custom replacements of some features, including the brass handrails, and used exterior paint colors that matched the originals. He preserved an artistic tile panel in the entry and installed several original art deco wall sconces and pendant chandeliers in a one-bedroom unit on the first floor.
'I hope that the restoration of this property will contribute to the neighborhood's outstanding and historically protected architecture,' Arnheim said.
The building is across from the restored Howard Theater, which showcased jazz legends Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald as well as Motown stars James Brown and the Supremes.
Units are laid out like railroad flats, and they are bright and airy with deco-inspired chevron-design cabinets.
The four-bedroom, two-bath loft-style penthouse has a 430-square-foot deck and 20-foot ceilings, exposed brick and wood joists, and views of the Howard and the stone carvings that frame the condo building's windows.
The three- and four-bedroom units have two bathrooms; one with a shower, the other with a soaking tub and shower. Rooms have space-saving pocket doors and closets have adjustable shelving.
Each unit has stainless steel appliances, including stacked full-size washer-dryers, granite counter tops, European cabinetry with soft door closing and matte black finishes. Owners can choose their backsplash designs.
Arnheim dug out a lower level in the deep lot to accommodate additional units, while preserving the natural light from above.
The building is the first residential dwelling visitors encounter when entering LeDroit Park on Florida Avenue from the west. Shortly after he bought the property, Arnheim contacted Mural Arts and commissioned a bright abstract mural for its exposed west side.
Open-concept kitchens includes granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, under-cabinet lighting and pocket doors.
On a recent tour, Arnheim opened a closet to reveal the funeral home's original oak newel post from the elegant stairway off the reception room. He said he couldn't find a way to incorporate it into the new design.
But didn't want to let it go until he does.
Public Schools: Cleveland Elementary. Cardozo Education Campus is a combined middle and high school.
Transit: The Shaw-Howard University Metro station, on the Green Line, is two blocks away.