by When the Society of the Cincinnati at Larz Anderson House in Washington, DC, came on my radar, I couldn’t quite figure out what it was, but I knew we had to see it.
It was over-the-top and crazy and beautiful and mysterious.
First, there is the Larz Anderson House itself. It’s a stunning Gilded Age Beaux-Arts style mansion located on Embassy Row. Completed in 1905, it was the winter residence of – no surprise here – wealthy and privileged Larz Anderson (1866 –1937) and his wife Isabel Weld Perkins (1876 – 1948).
Larz served as a diplomat, and Isabel was the author of books and travelogues, as well as a volunteer with the American Red Cross.
What they really were was childless with lots of money and a fondness for society and entertaining. They traveled extensively, visiting five continents and being some of the first Westerners to visit locales such as Nepal and Tibet.
Larz has been described as a bon vivant (someone fond of good living), and I think that really hits the nail on the head.
They filled their stunning 50-room home with fine arts and historic artifacts they acquired on their travels in more than 40 years of marriage.
They filled their dining table and drawing rooms with the social and political elite of the day.
After Larz’s death, Isabel donated the house and contents to the Society of the Cincinnati.
What the heck is that, you might rightly ask.
The Society was founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolution. The Society’s name comes from ancient Roman hero Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who was known for his civic-mindedness.
Membership is restricted primarily to military officers who served in the Continental Army and their descendants. There are 13 constituent societies in the United States, as well as one in France.
Needless to say, some big names have been members of the Society, such as Alexander Hamilton, the Marquis de Lafayette, Aaron Burr, John Paul Jones, and George Washington. 23 of the 29 signers of the US Constitution were members.
Today the Society works to promote public interest in the Revolution. It still follows the original rule for membership in which an officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolution can be represented by one male descendant. If a male line dies out, a “collateral male” can be accepted.
Larz was a faithful member of the Society of Cincinnati for more than 40 years. The home today is open as a museum, but also still serves as the headquarters and library for the Society.
Wow, what a house! Imagine living in such a place… their winter house” no less!