The University Club Historic Preservation Foundation was formed to preserve the history and architecture of the Clubhouse of the University Club of Washington and to memorialize its significance in the Sixteenth Street corridor north of the White House. The Clubhouse, often referred to by its members as the Mansion on Sixteenth Street, was constructed in 1921 as the home of the Racquet Club of Washington, which later merged with the University Club in 1936. The building was designed by prominent French-born local architect Jules Henri de Sibour and construction was handled by the firm of prolific developer, Harry Wardman. Both de Sibour and Wardman were officers of the Racquet Club.
Working in the Beaux-Arts style throughout his career, de Sibour’s buildings are characterized by their extensive applied decoration and the French influence in their design. Besides the University Club, de Sibour’s most prominent works are grand dwellings and embassy buildings such as the original French Embassy on Kalorama Road and the Chevy Chase Club.
Harry Wardman’s real estate developments in Washington included landmark hotels, luxury apartment buildings, and many rowhouses. When he died in 1938, one-tenth of the residents of Washington were said to live in a Wardman-built home. In addition to the University Club, among his most prominent buildings are the St. Regis and Hay-Adams hotels.
On January 25, 2024, the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board designated the building as a historic landmark. The Board’s designation recognized the building’s strong historic integrity in location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and its contribution to the character of the Sixteenth Street Historic District.
