Dupont Circle Conservancy

Preserving the historic & architectural character of the greater Dupont Circle neighborhood.

Our Mission:

The Dupont Circle Conservancy, formed in 1978, is an all volunteer membership-based non-profit 501c(3) educational organization. Its mission is to promote preservation of the historic and architectural character of the Dupont Circle Historic District and nearby areas of the adjacent Greater U Street, Massachusetts Avenue (from 17th to 23rd Streets), Sixteenth Street, and Strivers’ Section Historic Districts, all located in Northwest Washington, DC. A map showing the relevant historic districts can be viewed at this link.

About Us:

Since its beginning, the Dupont Circle Conservancy has been actively involved in a wide variety of neighborhood preservation activities:

• Early members worked to protect and promote the low-scale character of the residential neighborhood evidence of which is all around you today.

• The Conservancy has landmarked several individual buildings, including the 1880 Demonet Building on the southeast corner of Connecticut Avenue and M Street, NW, in 1979, and the home and studio of Alma Thomas, the nationally recognized “colorist” artist, at 1530 Fifteenth Street, NW, in the mid-1980s.

• Also in the 1980s, the Conservancy initiated the designation of the Strivers’ Section Historic District to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places.

• More recently, successful joint efforts of the Conservancy and the Georgetown Citizens Association, resulted in raising over $100,000 for the restoration of the four buffalo sculptures on the “Buffalo Bridge” which carries Q Street, NW, over Rock Creek Park between the Dupont Circle and Georgetown neighborhoods. The sculptures, designed by A. Phimister Proctor, “guard” each end of the 1914 bridge. The bridge and sculptures are on the DC Inventory and the National Register of Historic Places.

• In another successful Conservancy fundraising and equally important research effort, the organization raised $50,000 in matching funds for the Art on Call project, a citywide program for conversion of DC’s iconic police and fire department call boxes into signposts for neighborhood history. Twenty-two former call boxes now stand refurbished throughout the Dupont neighborhood, each conveying a brief historical vignette relevant to the area.

• Other local agencies & organizations we collaborate with:

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B
Dupont Circle Citizens Association
Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets
The Historical Society of Washington, DC
DC Historic Preservation Office
DC Preservation League
The Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation
WDC Educational Foundation

Dupont Circle Conservancy Board 2023:

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Phyllis Klein, President president@dupontcircleconservancy.org

James Dudney, Vice President vicepresident@dupontcircleconservancy.org

Kenlee Ray, Secretary secretary@dupontcircleconservancy.org

Bruce Frishman, Treasurer treasurer@dupontcircleconservancy.org

Charles Gaynor, Director director@dupontcircleconservancy.org

Bylaws:

Read the Conservancy’s bylaws (PDF).

Contact us:

General email address: info@dupontcircleconservancy.org

Mailing address: Dupont Circle Conservancy, 9 Dupont Cir NW, Washington, DC 20036