Dupont Circle in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
International Eastern Star Temple/Perry Belmont Mansion
| | Historic Site, Washington, DC | |
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 25, 2025
1. International Eastern Star Temple/Perry Belmont Mansion Marker
New Yorker Perry Belmont (1851-1947), a former Congressman and diplomat, bought this triangular block in DC's most fashionable neighborhood in 1906. Wishing to make a splash on Washington's winter social scene, Belmont and his wife Jessie hired noted French architect Ernest Sanson and American architect Horace Trumbauer to design a Beaux-Arts residence suitable for lavish entertaining. Society writers claimed it had "the best dance floor in town."
With the onset of the Great Depression, the couple stopped wintering in Washington and the International Order of the Eastern Star acquired it for its headquarters in 1935. The extraordinary condition of the mansion is a testimony to the dedication of the organization's stewardship as well as the quality of the building's construction.
Listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, 1964, and the National Register of Historic Places, 1973.
Erected 2017 by Cultural Tourism DC; funded by the Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation and the Dupont Circle Citizens Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Entertainment • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 38° 54.72′
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Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: National Museum of American Jewish Military History Memorial Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carl Lutz (about 400 feet away); 1736 Corcoran (about 500 feet away); Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini (about 500 feet away); The Cavanaugh Sculpture Garden (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Woman's National Democratic Club (about 500 feet away); Votes for Women (about 500 feet away); All the Row Houses (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Woman's National Democratic Club (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 25, 2025
2. International Eastern Star Temple/Perry Belmont Mansion Marker
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 25, 2025
4. International Eastern Star Temple/Perry Belmont Mansion
Credits. This page was last revised on June 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 216 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2025, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on February 21, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on April 27, 2025, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
