BARBARA KLEIN: Many diplomatic buildings in the capital once were the houses
of wealthy Americans. A building that houses the Embassy of Indonesia, for
example, was known for many years as the Walsh mansion.
Thomas Walsh had it built more than one hundred years ago as a home for his
family. The architect designed the mansion similar to a style popular at the time
in Paris.
Thomas Walsh was born in Ireland. He came to the United States at the age of
nineteen. He made a lot of money in the state of Colorado. There, he developed
and owned one of the richest gold mines in the world.
STEVE EMBER: Walsh’s daughter, Evalyn Walsh McLean, owned the Hope
Diamond. She wore the huge jewel even though she had received warnings that
it caused terrible things to happen. Some people saw proof of that in the fact that
two of her children and her husband died before her.
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Many big parties took place among the costly furnishings of the Walsh mansion.
Wealthy and famous people visited the beautifully lighted house.
BARBARA KLEIN: It was a center of Washington society until the nineteen
thirties. The house stood unoccupied for a while, then government agencies used
it for offices.
During World War Two, the Red Cross made bandages in the house and also used
the space to treat soldiers wounded overseas.
In the nineteen fifties, Ali Sastroamidjojo bought the building for Indonesia. He
served as the country’s first ambassador to the United States. About thirty years
later, the old mansion was connected to a modern building that was added.
Today, some people attend Friday prayers at the Indonesian embassy. The
embassy also offers educational courses.
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STEVE EMBER: Traveling along Embassy Row, we pass a number of other
embassies. One of the largest is the British Embassy. The grounds include two
chancery buildings and a residence. The ambassador's home looks like an English
country house.
BARBARA KLEIN: On the embassy grounds a bronze statue of Winston Churchill
welcomes visitors and people passing by on the street.
Winston Churchill was Britain’s prime minister during World War Two. His statue
shows him making a V-for-victory sign with one hand. The other hand holds a
cane and a cigar.
Churchill stands with one foot on British land at the embassy and the other foot
in Washington. This placement calls attention to the fact that his father was
British and his mother was American. It also calls attention to the honorary
United States citizenship that he was given.
STEVE EMBER: Close to the British Embassy is the United States Naval
Observatory. Astronomers use the observatory to study the positions and
movements of the Earth, sun, moon and other objects in space.
The people who work at the Naval Observatory must also find time for another
responsibility. They keep the Master Clock for the United States.