Story

The Mary Church Terrell House is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites and the DC Inventory of Historic Properties. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. The Terrell House had been vacant for over twenty years and is located on a tight urban site in Le Droit Park. Due to extensive deterioration, the Terrell House was listed on DCPL’s Endangered Places list in 1999. In 2007, the house was structurally stabilized and mothballed following the repointing of the brick. Important historic features such as the wood-sash windows were salvaged and stored in the interior of the house. Despite these repairs, the vacancy and ongoing water infiltration have caused further damage to the exterior and interior of the house. Monarc was hired in 2020 as the General Contractor for the restoration of the exterior and interior. The scope of work for the exterior was to provide a weathertight shell and the interior was rehabilitated for residential use for Howard University. Exterior work included the following: repair and repointing of brick masonry; repair of historic wood-sash windows and replacement in-kind where required due to deterioration; reconstruction of the historic front porch based on historic documentation; replacement of the non-original roof with slate shingles to match the historic appearance; repair and replacement in-kind of wood siding; repair of the existing third-floor porch; and repairs to the non-original masonry party wall. Monarc teamed with EHT Traceries, a historic preservation consultant who provided guidance and ensured compliance with historic preservation requirements. Including the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and the Le Droit Park Historic District Design Guidelines. Since the completion of the project the project has been featured in ABC's Build Washington, DC Preservation League Article, and NBC Washington