Thursday Doors – Dupont Circle

The title should say “to and from” Dupont Circle, but let’s not quibble over minor details. I was about to say “last month” when I realized that it’s August and the pictures I have to share today were taken in June. What happened to July? Anyway, way back in June, when I was commuting for two days from Silver Spring, MD to the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., I took the Metro’s Red Line train from Silver Spring to Dupont Circle. Along the short walk to the Cosmos Club, I passed a couple of blocks of brownstones and, of course, I paid attention to the doors.

Most of the doors were just your normal run of the mill entrance doors, but when homes are squished in side-by-side, people seem to go to great lengths to give their door, entrance, yard, etc. a look that will set it apart. It’s not the door, as much as it’s the whole package.

As I approached the Cosmos Club, I was surrounded by larger buildings with more impressive doors. The surprise door (would that be a door prize?) of the week was discovered by accident, as I was trying to get a better picture of the entrance to the Cosmos Club.

I walked across the street to get enough distance to bring the entire building into the frame, and I stepped into the driveway of the Anderson House. I waited forever for a lull in the traffic, and I snapped the photo I wanted. Since the Anderson House seemed to be a public space, I decided to walk over and get a picture of the front door.

This is what door freaks aficionados do. We are people who used to settle for pictures of interesting buildings who have mutated evolved into people for whom a building seems to be made interesting by its doors. This is due to exposure to the main carrier of the door addiction virus, Norm Frampton. Norm is not just a carrier, he’s equally infected. In fact, we celebrate his contribution each week on Thursdays by visiting his site. We pet the blue frog that stands guard, and we view a vast amount of doors, contributed from all over the world.

Only after I took the photo of the front door, did I notice the amazing doors that control access to the driveway. How I could have missed these doors remains a mystery. I’ll chalk it up to being preoccupied with the traffic.

The Anderson House is the headquarters of the The Society of the Cincinnati. From their website:

“The Society of the Cincinnati is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution. Its mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence and to foster fellowship among its members. Now a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the principles and ideals of its founders, the modern Society maintains its headquarters, library, and museum at Anderson House in Washington, D.C.”

One of the early members of the society, Major Pierre L’Enfant, a French officer who joined the American Army in 1777, served in the Corps of Engineers, later was involved in the planning and design of the city of Washington, D.C.

I mention Mr. L’Enfant because he has a connection to Thursday Doors. One of my earliest contributions to this remarkable blogfest was a post about the doors of The Lockkeeper’s House in Washington, D.C. The canal system of which the locks were a part, was designed by Pierre L’Enfant.

I always like the color that’s added by the reflections.

Metro Red Line. A.K.A. my ride for the week.

It’s sandwiched in between a street full of buildings, but its unique and pretty.

I guess if you live on Q St, you make a big deal out of it.

Anderson House

Anderson House front entrance.

Anderson House front door

Gate doors on the right side of the driveway.

This building stood out because it’s kind of bland and normal.

A lot of work went into dressing up this entrance.

This would be pretty sweet to come home to each day.

Just another house in the row.

I love the colors and the iron work balcony.

This is the building in Silver Spring where the first two days of meetings were held.

This is the Discovery Channel building. I have no idea what those doors are for, but I couldn’t resist.

I can imagine, after a long hot day in the city, that those stairs are a mini-challenge.

Dupont Circle to Silver Spring – nice easy ride.

I’m sure there’s a door in there. I wanted to give you a sense of the walk,