Then and Then and Now: The Firemen’s Insurance Building

Then (top): Photographed ca. 1900, the Firemen’s Insurance Company moved into their new building at 303 Seventh Street, NW in 1882. The building was designed in a restrained Queen Anne style. Rather than using detailing common to the style, the building relies on volumetric complications which adapt well to the shape of the lot.

Then (bottom left): By the late 1960s, the building had lost many of its original features including the dome and cupola.

Now (bottom right): Beautifully restored, the building is now part of the 11 story complex visible behind it, which was begun in 1986 by the development firm of Farr-Jewett.

Here’s another image of the state of the building dating to the late 1960s, prior to restoration: