A Walking Tour of the Georgetown Set

by Rick Massimo, Missy Janes (Photographer)

Overview

The tony, leafy neighborhood of Georgetown along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. has been influential in American history since the 18th century when it was a thriving seaport. But during the Cold War, following World War II and up until the end of the 20th century, it was home to the Capitol's most influential players in government, spycraft, journalism, and the arts. Within less than a square mile were located the red brick Federal era homes of the best and the brightest, most of them close friends and frequent dinner companions. They came to be known as the "Georgetown Set", despised by Richard Nixon for their Ivy League, patrician clannishness, their secret "old boy" arrogance, and their unfettered access to the highest levels of power in the city. The inner circle included Phillip and Katharine Graham, owners of the Washington Post; the columnists Joe and Stewart Alsop; The Bundy brothers; powerbroker and railroad scion Averell Harriman; Secretary of State John Foster Dulles; Jack and Jackie Kennedy; and many more spooks, G men, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices were members of this elite club. Now, for the first time, author Richard Massimo takes us on a walking tour of the neighborhood where the Georgetown Set lived, including a map, recent photos of each house, and sketches of each inhabitant. Spend an afternoon walking the brick sidewalks of Georgetown and you'll see where these historic figures resided. “The hand that mixes the Georgetown martini is time and again the hand that guides the destiny of the Western world.” –Henry Kissinger

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442251069
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/30/2016
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Rick Massimo is a writer and editor at WTOP who previously spent nine years reporting for Providence Journal where he won awards for his arts criticism and diversity in media writing. He has also written the forthcoming book, I Got a Song: A History of the Newport Folk Festival. He lives in Washington, DC.  

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 1721 Wisconsin Avenue La Niçoise (now Casbah Café) 1

2 1610 32nd Street Eric Sevareid 5

3 1645 31st Street Al Friendly 9

4 1688 31st Street Robert Taft 13

5 1703 32nd Street Dumbarton Oaks 17

6 2920 R Street William Donovan / Phil Katharine Graham 21

7 3028 Dent Place William Colby 27

8 3018 Q Street Cyrus Vance 31

9 2723 Q Street Allen Dulles 35

10 2805 P Street Dean Acheson 39

11 2811 O Street Robert Joyce 45

12 2709 Dumbarton Street George Kennan 49

13 2720 Dumbarton Street Joe Alsop 53

14 2811 Dumbarton Street Chip Bohlen 57

15 2820 Dumbarton Street Drew Pearson 61

16 3018 Dumbarton Street Felix Frankfurter 65

17 1245 30th Street Alger Hiss 69

18 1224 30th Street Gordon Gray 73

19 3014 N Street Ben Bradlee Sally Quinn 77

20 3025 N Street Abe Fortas 81

21 3038 N Street Averell Harriman 85

22 3122 O Street Arthur Schlesinger 89

23 3132 O Street Henry Cabot Lodge II 93

24 3139 Dumbarton Street Stewart Alsop 97

25 (now a Five Guys), 1335 Wisconsin Avenue Au Pied de Cochon 101

26 1264 Wisconsin Avenue Martin's Tavern 103

27 3263 N Street Stuart Symington 107

28 3307 N Street John F. Kennedy 111

29 3321 N Street Mary Pinchot Meyer 115

30 1512 33rd Street Llewellyn Thompson 117

31 3310 P Street Philip Jessup 121

32 3327 P Street Frank Wisner 125

33 1641 34th Street Desmond FitzGerald 129

34 1525 35th Street Walter Lippmann 133

35 1405 34th Street David Evangeline Bruce 137

36 3508 Prospect Street James Forrestal 141

Conclusion 147

Editorial Reviews

The hand that mixes the Georgetown martini is time and again the hand that guides the destiny of the Western world.

Henry Kissinger