Turning the pages back...

December 29, 1992

In the final days of 1992, a year after the United States recognized Ukraine, the government of Ukraine concluded the purchase of a historic building in Washington for use as its embassy in the United States. The building, known as Forrest-Marbury Court, is located at 3350 M Street NW in the historic Georgetown district of Washington. Months of negotiation with both the seller of the building and the Department of State, which had to approve the purchase agreement, culminated with the December 29, 1992, signing ceremony at the current Embassy of Ukraine.

The original portion of the building was constructed circa 1788. In 1986-1989 the building was renovated and expanded. The 48,000-square-foot edifice was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1973. One of the earliest structures built in Washington, the exterior of the Forrest-Marbury House has been restored to reflect the Greek Revival period based upon a Civil War-era photograph; the interior incorporates elements of the Federalist and Greek Revival periods.

The Forrest-Marbury House is the site of one of the most significant events in U.S. history: the establishment of the federal city of Washington, D.C. It was at this residence, during a dinner hosted on March 29, 1791, by Gen. Uriah Forrest, a Revolutionary War hero, that an agreement in principle was reached on securing land along the Potomac River for the capital of the new country. With the selection of the capital, development along the Potomac started to expand. Construction on the White House began in 1792, the Capitol Building in 1793 and Georgetown University in 1789.

The signing ceremony a decade ago involved Andrew Eschleman of Forrest Marbury Corp., owner of the property; Harry W. Porter III of the Office of Foreign Missions of the U.S. Department of State; and Ukraine's Ambassador Oleh Bilorus, who underscored that "this is a special day in the history of this Embassy and my country. Ukraine disappeared for centuries, but now is emerging on the European scene."

"U.S. and Ukraine finalize Embassy purchase" and "New Ukrainian Embassy complex is U.S. historic landmark," both by Eugene M. Iwanciw, UNA Washington Office, The Ukrainian Weekly, January 3, 1993, Vol. LXI, No. 1.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, December 29, 2002, No. 52, Vol. LXX

| Home Page |