Belgian Residence
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The inspiration for this house was the Parisian Hotel de
Rothelin-Charolais, built between 1700 and 1704 by Louis XIV’s
architect Pierre Cailleteau, called Lassurance the Elder.
The Residence is a two-story limestone structure that sits on nine
acres of wooded hillside above the Potomac River. All the public
rooms -- foyer, salon, library, dining room, and Florida room-- are
arranged on the ground level.
The interior was conceived in Louis XVI style by the French firm
Alavoine et Cie, and according to one architectural historian, was
influenced by Jean Courtonne’s 1759 Château de Villarceaux. The
crystal chandeliers, the original Aubusson carpets, the parquet
floors and carved paneling were imported from France. Alavoine
revisited the house to do alterations for Baron Silvercruys, the
Belgian ambassador who negotiated the purchase of the house for the
Belgian government and the first Belgian ambassador to reside here.
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