Sheridan Circle is a

traffic circle A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

and park in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The traffic circle, one of two in the neighborhood, is the intersection of 23rd Street NW, Massachusetts Avenue NW, and R Street NW. The buildings along this stretch of Massachusetts Avenue NW are part of

Embassy Row Embassy Row is the informal name for a section of Northwest Washington, D.C., with a high concentration of embassies, diplomatic missions, and diplomatic residences. It spans Massachusetts Avenue N.W. between 18th and 35th street, bounded ...

, which runs from Scott Circle to Observatory Circle. Sheridan Circle is a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

to the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District and the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District, both listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP). In addition, the

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a ...

of General

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...

is 1 of 18 Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C., that were collectively listed on the NRHP. The area around Sheridan Circle did not develop until the 1880s-1890s. Local officials extended Massachusetts Avenue NW past what was then the city's boundary, now

Florida Avenue Florida Avenue is a major street in Washington, D.C. It was originally named Boundary Street, because it formed the northern boundary of the Federal City under the 1791 L'Enfant Plan. With the growth of the city beyond its original borders, B ...

, in hopes of recreating the residential success of

Dupont Circle Dupont Circle is a historic roundabout park and Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th St ...

. The Sheridan-Kalorama area was previously home to large estates and country homes. These lands were eventually sold and the traffic circle's name was changed from Decatur Circle, in honor of Commodore

Stephen Decatur Commodore (United States), Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was a United States Navy officer. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County. His father, Ste ...

, to Sheridan Circle, in honor of

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

General

. It took many years for the equestrian statue of Sheridan to be created, and the dedication of the memorial took place in 1908. By that time, houses were being built around the circle, including the first one, the Alice Pike Barney Studio House. The remaining homes around the circle were elaborate mansions, designed by some of the top local and national architects. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, some of the residences were sold to foreign countries. This occurred again after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and into the 1950s. Some of the embassies and ambassadorial residences facing Sheridan Circle include Romania, Ireland, Greece, Vietnam, Kenya, Egypt, South Korea, Latvia, and Turkey. Two violent moments that occurred at Sheridan Circle were the assassination of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt by Chile's

Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional The Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional (DINA; ) was the secret police of Chile during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. The DINA has been referred to as "Pinochet's Gestapo". Established in November 1973 as a Chilean Army intelligence unit ...

. Those that took part in the

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roug ...

attack were

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n expatriates who supported Chilean dictator

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...

. There is a small monument by the circle in honor of the two victims. The other violent moment took place in 2017 when clashes broke out between the

Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...

(PKK) supporters and Kurdish separatists who were protesting Turkish President

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

. The protesters and reporters were beaten by Erdoğan's security detail. The victims later opened a civil case against the Turkish government.

Location and significance

Sheridan Circle, the city's Reservation 57A, is the intersection of 23rd Street NW, Massachusetts Avenue NW, and R Street NW, in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of

It is one of two traffic circles in the neighborhood, the other being Kalorama Circle. The circle and its surrounding buildings are contributing properties to two

historic districts A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from ce ...

. The first one, Massachusetts Avenue Historic District, was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (DCIHS) on November 27, 1973, and listed on the

(NRHP) on October 22, 1974. The second is the

Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District The Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District is a neighborhood and historic district located in the Northwest (Washington, D.C.), northwest Quadrants of Washington, D.C., quadrant of Washington, D.C. The boundaries of the historic district include Rock ...

, added to the DCIHS on August 16, 1989, and listed on the NRHP on October 30, 1989.

History

19th-century

The area that now encompasses Sheridan Circle, and much of the present-day Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood, were originally large estates built outside the city's boundary. Local government officials announced in 1886 that development would be expanded beyond Boundary Street (renamed

in 1890). The plan was to extend Massachusetts Avenue NW northward past Rock Creek. Two traffic circles were also planned in the extension and most of the surrounding area was to be plotted and have streets laid out within a year. Charles Bird King - Stephen Decatur - NPG

Charles Bird King - Stephen Decatur - NPG

The land that was previously the Lovett estate and the Barlow-Bomford mausoleum is where present-day Sheridan Circle is located. The earliest developments in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood took place near Decatur Circle, the original name of Sheridan Circle. It was named in honor of

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Commodore

, but renamed in 1890, in honor of

General

, a neighborhood to the east, became a fashionable residential area in the 1880s. Development past the Dupont Circle boundaries began that same decade, and by 1887, the lots along Massachusetts Avenue had been plotted. Soon, there were large residences being built along the avenue towards Decatur Circle. In the 1890s, the city's boundary was extended past Rock Creek, but city officials had to build a new bridge over the creek and pave Massachusetts Avenue before further development could occur.

20th-century

The stone bridge that carried people and goods over Rock Creek on Massachusetts Avenue was replaced with an iron bridge in 1901, which was also replaced in the 1940s and named the Charles C. Glover Memorial Bridge. The large residences built along Massachusetts Avenue were designed by prominent architects from Washington, D.C., as well as ones from other major cities. Most of the residences built around Sheridan Circle were free-standing mansions, occupied by prominent members of society. The first house to be constructed that faced the circle was the Alice Pike Barney Studio House, an eclectic example of

Spanish Colonial Revival architecture The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish architecture in general. Thes ...

, which Alice Pike Barney used as an art studio and residence. Foreign governments also became interested in building stylish, large embassies around the circle.

Sheridan statue

General Philip Sheridan Memorial - Rienzi

A statue to honor General Sheridan was originally proposed to stand on the north side of

Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...

NW near 13th Street NW, at what is now

Freedom Plaza Freedom Plaza, originally known as Western Plaza, is an open plaza in Northwest Washington, D.C., United States, located near 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to Pershing Park. The plaza features an inlay that partially depict ...

. Sheridan's widow advocated to erect the statue at Sheridan Circle instead, with which the statue commission agreed. John Quincy Adams Ward was selected to sculpt the statue. Mrs. Sheridan rejected his original model, saying it was not a good likeness of her husband, and the statue commission rejected Ward's model. The commission and Mrs. Sheridan both approved of a model created by

Gutzon Borglum John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculpture, sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Moun ...

, one that was modeled after Philip Sheridan Jr. The statue and the surrounding park were dedicated on November 27, 1908, and is one of 18 Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C., listed on the NRHP on September 20, 1978, and the DCIHS on March 3, 1979. In the years following

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, there was an explosion in growth of new buildings in the area. Many prominent local and national architects designed palatial residences around Sheridan Circle. During the

, many of the local residences were sold to foreign nations or various groups. After

ended, many of the area residences were renovated into embassies, ambassadorial residences, and attachés. Examples include the following: the Edward Hamlin Everett House, designed by George Oakley Totten Jr., is the ambassadorial residence for

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

; the mansion at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, designed by William Penn Cresson, is the Irish embassy; the mansion at 1607 23rd Street NW, designed by Carrère and Hastings, is the Romanian embassy; the Joseph Beale House, designed by Glenn Brown, is the ambassadorial residence for

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

; 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, designed by Totten Jr., is the Greek embassy; the Emma S. Fitzhugh House, designed by Wood, Donn & Deming, is the ambassadorial residence for the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

; and 2249 R Street NW, designed by Nathan C. Wyeth, is the ambassadorial residence for

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. Additional countries who own buildings on the circle include

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

(consular section) and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. The

American Society of International Law American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

's headquarters is on the east side of the circle at 2223 Massachusetts Avenue NW.

Assassination

On September 21, 1976, Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt were killed by a

in the circle. Letelier had been

foreign minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

in the ousted Allende government of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. The bombing was blamed on Chilean DINA agents. Michael Townley, a DINA U.S. expatriate among those convicted for the crime, confessed that he had hired five anti- Castro

n exiles to booby-trap Letelier's car. According to Jean-Guy Allard, after consultations with the

Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations Coordination may refer to: * Coordination (linguistics), a compound grammatical construction * Coordination complex, consisting of a central atom or ion and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions ** A chemical reaction to form a coordina ...

leadership (including Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch), those selected to carry out the murder were

Cuban Americans Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States after Mexican Americans, States ...

José Dionisio Suárez, Virgilio Paz Romero, Alvin Ross Díaz, and brothers Guillermo and Ignacio Novo Sampoll. According to news reports, Luis Posada Carriles was at the meeting that decided on Letelier's death and also about the '' Cubana'' bombing two weeks later. Letelier and Moffitt are commemorated with a small plaque embedded in the grass along the curb where they died, near the Irish and Romanian embassies. In 2023, Chilean President

Gabriel Boric Gabriel Boric Font (; born 11 February 1986) is a Chilean politician and the President of Chile since 2022. He previously served two four-year terms as a deputy in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Chamber of Deputies. Boric first gained prom ...

visited the memorial site where he placed flowers.

21st-century

Clashes

On May 16, 2017, dozens of

(PKK) supporters and Kurdish separatists clashed with Turkish security officials at Sheridan Circle. Turkish security personnel beat journalists and protesters during the skirmish. Turkish President

, visiting the ambassadorial residence on the circle, watched the clashes from a distance. During a civil suit by some of the PKK supporters against the Turkish government, a U.S. judge denied Turkey's citing the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act as to why the case should be dismissed.

Gallery

File:Sheridan Statue, Washington, D.C. npcc.jpg, The

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

in the 1910s File:Embassy of Romania United States.JPG, Romanian embassy File:Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC.jpg, Irish embassy File:Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C LCCN2011631431.tif, Greek embassy File:VietnameseEmbassyResidence01.jpg, Vietnamese embassy File:Embassy of Kenya, Washington, D.C. 002.jpg, Kenyan embassy File:Edward H. Everett House.JPG, Turkish ambassadorial residence File:Residence of the ambassador of the Philippines, Washington, D.C..jpg, Filipino ambassadorial residence File:Egyptian ambassador's residence - Washington, D.C..jpg, Joseph Beale House, now the Egyptian ambassadorial residence File:Embassy of South Korea Consulate Section (Washington, D.C.).jpg, South Korean embassy's Consulate Section File:Embassy of Latvia, Washington, D.C..jpg, Alice Pike Barney Studio House, now the Latvian embassy File:Memorial Letelier Moffitt.jpg, Memorial to the

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt

References

{{Authority control Embassy Row Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...

Squares, plazas, and circles in Washington, D.C. Streets in Washington, D.C. Historic district contributing properties in Washington, D.C.