Washington Winter Show 2026

W e are thrilled to feature an architectural rendering of Meridian House inWashington, DC on the cover of the WashingtonWinter Show program. Meridian House, which today is home to Meridian International Center * (meridian.org ) is a residential jewel, designed by renowned architect John Russell Pope, whose designs include the Je erson Memorial, the National Gallery of Art (West Building), and the National Archives. Commissioned by Ambassador Irwin Boyle Laughlin, who had a distinguished career with the U.S. Foreign Service serving in the Far East and Russia before being assigned to posts in Athens, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and London, Meridian House was described in by Architectural Forum as: Perhaps as ne a piece of work of its kind as this country can show.... Certainly the manner of this house has not in this country been better done, not only in terms of stylistic authenticity, but in terms of pure architecture, meaning good taste in selectivity, in elimination, in execution. It cannot from its nature do otherwise than set a standard which should endure permanently. After undergoing a major renovation in , Meridian House’s principal rooms retain their architectural detail as well as some of the original decorative features, such as the th-century European overdoor paintings and antique brass hardware and lighting xtures. The classical symmetry of the Louis XVI style is re ected throughout the house. The dining room features a beautiful Mortlake tapestry, which has been dated by experts as late th century. The tapestry, purchased by the Laughlin family in England at the turn of the century, depicts the legendary reception given Alexander the Great by the Greek philosopher Diogenes. An almost identical tapestry hangs in Holyrood Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. The reception gallery remains much as it was at the time the Laughlin family occupied the house. The wrought-iron and marble-topped side tables, the four Waterford crystal torcheres in the corners, the blue Chinese temple jars, and the antique clock and barometer on the mirrored walls are all part of the original furnishings. The loggia, which links the major reception rooms and rear garden, includes four marble busts sculpted in France, representing the four seasons. The dining room also features two portraits, one of Ambassador Laughlin and one of his daughter, Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, as a child. A portrait of Mrs. Laughlin hangs nearby in the Chairmen’s Study. All three were painted by Philippe de Laszlo, the renowned portrait artist of the early th century. The Latin inscription “Quo habitat felicitas nil intret mali” appears over the front door and translates “Where happiness dwells, evil will not enter.” The inscription over the rear courtyard doors reads: “Purior hic aer: late hinc conspectus in urbem,” meaning “Purer here the air whence we overlook the city,” a quotation also inscribed on a house at the top of Rome’s Spanish Steps. The rear and side gardens largely retain their original design. The pebbled courtyard has linden trees, imported fromEurope when the house was built. The statues throughout the garden are original to the house. Meridian House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. * Meridian International Center is a nonpartisan center for diplomacy founded in 1960 and headquartered on a historic campus in Washington, D.C. Meridian’s mission is to empower leaders to advance the next era of diplomacy. Its programs strengthen American leadership by accelerating collaboration on shared challenges, increasing economic competitiveness, and building geopolitical resilience. Meridian equips leaders from business, science and technology, cities and states, culture and sports with the insights, networks, and resources to navigate a complex world.