Heurich House Museum

This event is not affiliated with the museum nor is it happening in our garden.

It's week - we're kicking off our holiday tradition by decorating the conservatory tree! Check out all the holiday cheer and pick out your gifts this weekend! Link in bio for info + tix.

Preservation Director Dan gave our Education Fellows some behind-the-scenes looks. As part of their process of empathic storytelling, the fellows will integrate previously untold stories of the people who worked and lived in the home. For example, Kerry, was curious about the boiler room after coming across a story about the history household staff receiving a delivery for coal.⠀
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Swipe for the earliest photos we can find of the boiler room - from when was headquartered at the home circa. 1956-2003.⠀
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Dan's tour included exploring the boiler room, skylight room, and turret.

The historic Chr. Heurich Brewing Co. employed several war veterans. Through our research to better understand the lives of working class Washingtonians in the early part of the 1900s, we came across draft cards from WWII. Explore with us as we remember those who served today on .⠀
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Born in Washington, DC, Albert Walker Ayre was a photographer who also worked at the brewery. According to veterans records, Ayre served in 1918. Later, on his World War II Draft Registration Card, he listed his place of employment as "Heurich Brewing Co." Based on our records, he worked as a clerk.⠀
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Leonard Lewis Baker served from 1943 to 1946. He worked as a salesman at the Chr. Heurich Brewing Co., which he listed as his employer on his World War II draft card.⠀
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Alexander Salak, who worked as a Chauffeur for the Heurich family around 1920, served in World War I and was deployed from June 12, 1917 to September 5, 1919, during which he participated in 4 minor operations and 5 major operations in France. Later, Alexander was active in Washington, DC veteran life, holding the title of Commander in the Daly-Rogers post, which held monthly meetings in 1947 at 3736 Tenth St., NE.

In the mid-19th century, 20-40% of children passed away before they reached 5 years of age, and Spiritualism was on the rise. Amelia and Christian Heurich lost their daughter Anna Marguerite at only 9 months old, causing deep grief. Amelia Heurich designed the fountain in the Conservatory as a memorial to Anna Marguerite. For many, Spiritualism offered a way to cope with trauma and connect to those who had passed away.

It's day for . From 4-8pm in , meet the makers behind , , and and shop their locally-made goods! Plus grab a taste from local small batch cocktail company .

Back for the second time is fan favorite, ! Yolanda makes handmade ceramics that bring joy to your everyday routines. Stop by during on Thursday from 4-8pm at to meet her and explore her creations.

Did you know is a public history project? Saturday, October 22nd, from 1-3 pm, join and the museum to learn from its creators about what makes Senate a community collaboration and piece of DC history. Hear from our CEO & Museum Director, Kimberly Bender and Thor Cheston, Co-founder of as we raise a glass to history.⠀
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The historic Chr. Heurich Brewing Co.'s was popularized in the 1890's, survived Prohibition, and was produced until 1956 when the Chr. Heurich Brewing Co. closed. It was thought that Senate's unique formula was lost to history until historian Pete Jones found a recipe for the classic corn lager at the while researching Korean War tin rations. With this recipe, the beer we know and love was revived by DC's !⠀
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Tickets are limited - head over to to register. This is a 21+ event. Cost of admission includes .⠀
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Stay tuned for rain plans.

Tucked away, hidden on the side of a kitchen cabinet, is a knife sharpener. If you take a close look, you'll see the markings from use. Was it the cook who did the knife sharpening? We know the names of at least 15 people who worked as a cook for the Heurich family in this space. Seeing small traces like this is a physical reminder that people lived, worked, and moved in these spaces! Take a moment and pause to look at your surroundings - do you notice any traces around you?

We’re up all night for and ! Stop by before midnight to shop local makers and drink local beer. 🎨🍻

Art + Beer + History = One amazing craft evening. Tomorrow for and stop by from 5pm-midnight for "DC Craft Past & Present" Mini Markt. Swipe for all the deets + learn more through the link in our bio.

hand makes fashionable headbands, turbans, hair accessories, and jewelry for young women, moms, babies and girls, who are looking to feel feminine, unique, and always in style. Shop from DMARAN this Saturday at our x Mini Markt from 5pm - midnight. Learn more about the markt through the link in our bio.

This Saturday at our x Mini Markt meet Rude Doggie! sells original greeting cards, hand bound books, silkscreen prints, and stickers. Rude Doggie's gifts are irreverent and humorous with a focus on puns, playfulness, and vibrant colors! Link in bio for more info on the markt!

Meet historic craftsperson Amandus Frederick Jorss! Born in Hamburg Germany, at age 13 he began apprenticeships with ornamental ironworkers, and at age 18 moved to the U.S. We have Jorss to thank for the decorative iron fence around the garden and basement window grills on the historic house. Not far from the house, Jorss had an ornamental ironwork shops on 13th St NW. This Saturday for + , meet local craftspeople at our special Mini Markt from 5pm-midnight. Link in bio for more information.

makes artisanal clothing using breathable sustainable cotton printed fabrics which are produced from manufacturing waste. Their products are made by women artisans who have been trained & then employed by us. Meet Manasi and Indi Moda during our x Mini Markt on Saturday, September 24th midnight! Link in bio to learn more about about the Markt!

features garden grown herbs, foraged plants, and organic ingredients. They are made in small batches in a solar-powered kitchen by Amanda! Meet Amanda during our x Mini Markt on Saturday, September 24th midnight! Link in bio to learn more about our celebration of local craft.

is inspired by our personal geographies and, well, just a simple love of all things 'map.' As a cartographer and geographer by education (aka professional 'map nerd'), Candice creates geography and cartography inspired designs and home goods to add a sense of place to your space. Vintage maps, atlases, and textbooks featuring cities, states, countries, and more are repurposed into one-of-a-kind coasters to personalize your spaces with places important to you - hometowns, travel destinations, wedding locations, military postings, family heritage, vacations, etc. ⠀
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Find your favorite place or home on a map to bring home during our x Mini Markt on Saturday, September 24th midnight!

The main stairwell skylight leaves us with many questions. Who created and installed the glass? In the cove panel, there are paintings of gods and goddesses - who painted these? Also, there are initials "M.D. 1912" in the skylight room - were these possibly done by German immigrant painter Max Dex? Our education and preservation teams are currently trying to solve some of these mysteries to understand more about the live of working class artisans around the turn of the century.⠀
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With coming up next weekend - join us as we celebrate some of the historic craftsmanship in the home. Link in bio to learn more about our Mini Markt where you can meet 10 modern day artisans.

Meet the mobile print making studio, , that provides handmade block prints around DC. Allie first started her business as a grant-assisted passion project with the hope to connect the community during the pandemic by distributing free block printed postcards in city parks. The Bike has since expanded to selling prints and hosting DIY art activations throughout the DMV area. Roll on up to our x Mini Markt on September 24th from 5pm-midnight for a print of your own!

Next on our Director of Education Jenna's DMV house tour is the in Alexandria, VA! ⠀
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Organized labor leader John L. Lewis was the last resident of the Lee-Fendall house in Alexandria. Originally built in 1785 by Philip Fendall for the Lee family, the site later served as a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War. The museum shares stories of the home's inhabitants over the years and honors the lives of enslaved people and domestic staff who lived and worked onsite.

In ✌️ weeks meet 10 local makers, drink craft beer from members, and explore Chr. Heurich Brewing Co. history at our special x Mini Markt at . Link in bio for more info. Free, registration recommended.

Say hi to .co! 👋 London makes premium scented coconut wax candle and home goods with scents for every mood. Started during the chaos of the pandemic as a therapy hobby, London turned her hobby into a business after receiving great feedback. Their ingredients and packaging are eco-friendly and hand-poured with love. Shop from London at our x Mini Markt on September 24th from 5pm-midnight.

This week we explored where the Lincolns spent their DC summers and where President Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation. After our tour of the cottage we met with Callie Hawkins, Director of Programming, to learn about her curation of their exhibit "Reflections on Grief and Child Loss." This amazing exhibit explores the Lincolns' experience of the death of their children and bridges it with modern families whose children have died inexplicably or from illness, disease, physical and gun violence. Thank you for this special experience Lincoln's Cottage - we can't wait to bring what we learned about empathic storytelling to our tours and exhibits!⠀
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Visit the cottage and exhibits on a guided tour.

Meet me at the Friendship Arch…

The Chinatown arch at H and 7th Streets, NW, was built in 1986 to symbolize friendship between Washington and Beijing and revitalize the declining Chinatown neighborhood.

Chinese immigration to DC started in the mid-1800s. Family connections and racist policies prompted many migrants to settle in the same area, leading to the establishment of a Chinatown neighborhood along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Development projects in the 1930s destroyed the original Chinatown and pushed former residents to rebuild their community around H Street, NW.
Repeal of exclusionary immigration policies after World War II helped the new Chinatown grow, but rising property costs and city plans for a convention center once again displaced residents.

In response, a group of Chinese American community advocates, along with the governments of Washington and Beijing, introduced a series of neighborhood improvements in the 1980s, including the Friendship Arch.

Gentrification and development have pushed many Chinese businesses and residents out of the neighborhood, but this stop reminds us what Chinatown has been and could be.

Do you smell that? Maybe it's lavender...or lemongrass? It could be cedar or blackberry vanilla...it's ! Come by the next on Friday, September 2nd, 4-8pm at to explore all their hand-poured soy wax candles, nose-friendly and skin-safe fragrances, and rich lotions.

Our Director of Education Jenna has been exploring other public history sites and institutions throughout DC. She recently visited Dumbarton Oaks, the former home of humanities patrons Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. Today the institution hosts an incredible collection of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian artwork and aims to build connections between scholars, art and objects, and the public.

Meet All Very Goods (allverygoods.com), a Black-woman owned accessories and stationery brand, that creates products that would exist in a world where representation was the norm and Black culture was celebrated everyday. All Very Goods hopes that by wearing their products, that world gets a little closer everyday.

Meet Ama and her brand tomrorow 4-8pm for during at .

Meet London Wick, a premium coconut wax candle and home goods company with scents for every mood. Started in the chaos of the pandemic as a therapy hobby, London turned her hobby into a business after receiving great feedback. London Wick (londonwick.com) ingredients and packaging are eco friendly and hand poured with love.

Meet London Wick this Thursday 4-8pm for during at .

"...every time I look around the house, I always try to imagine what living there must have actually been like and these stories paint a clearer picture of just that..."

Connor, one of our Education Fellows, has been diving into interviews with Heurich staff, staff relatives, family, and friends to try to get a sense of what living in the house was actually like. He is designing tour that looks at the spaces in the house less from the function of each room and more about how people actually interacted with the spaces.

An example of this is from an interview with Leila Lavigne, whose great-aunt, named Pearl Brent, was a governesses to the Heurich children and a caretaker for Amelia Heurich. Leila described visiting the house with her little brothers who brought balloons from the zoo and when they would let them go, they would get stuck in the musicians balcony.

Pitched here is a view from the balcony today as well as a picture of Pearl Brent.

Happy Birthday Mathilde Heurich,"...a lady of advanced and original views" and "of a cheerful and ambitious disposition"!

Mathilde married Christian in 1887 and passed away in 1895, less than a year after moving into the mansion where she "took it upon herself to largely arrange and decorate the household effects and decorations..." and "...conceived the idea of having a fireproof dwelling." The Heurich home is the first fire proof residence in DC, built of concrete and steel beams. "Mrs. Heurich had set her heart on having a fireproof dwelling, and all arguments to the contrary would not, and did not, move her."

Read more about Mathilde in her obituary published on January 12, 1895 and a Washington Post article where Christian urges Washingtonians to fireproof their buildings published on August 17, 1902.