Dolley Madison House

The yellow brick facade of the Dolley Madison House stands out against the surrounding stone government buildings. Built in eighteen twenty, this home served as the official residence for Dolley Madison after her husband, President James Madison, passed away. She held court here, acting as an unofficial social arbiter for Washington politics until eighteen forty-nine. Her neighbor, the clubman Matthew St. Clair Clarke, later added the iron porch that remains a signature feature, often mistaken for a design choice by the former First Lady herself.