Alice Roosevelt Longworth is the author of an autobiography, Crowded Hours (1933). The daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, Longworth married Congressman Nicholas Longworth and was a famous Washington socialite.
Known for her wild and unconventional ways, she gambled, smoked in public, and had extramarital affairs. Gossip columns of the times reported her antics: plunging into a swimming pool fully clothed, placing bets at the Benning Race Track, wearing a boa constrictor around her neck.
An embroidered sofa pillow in her home read: “If you haven’t got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me.”
The Homes
2009 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC
This mansion was originally built for the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Horace A. Taylor. Longworth lived here for over 70 years. This mansion, and the neighboring house, are now the headquarters of the Washington Legal Foundation.
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC (The White House)
Built of Aquia Creek sandstone, this 130-room Neoclassical mansion was largely destroyed by arson during the War of 1812, and reconstructed in 1817. Additions include the South Portico (1824), the North Portico (1829), the West Wing (1901), and the Oval Office (1909). In 1949, the inside was completely gutted to stabilize the building with steel framing. The grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in 1935. The mansion was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Also home to: Rose Elizabeth Cleveland Ulysses S. Grant John Hay Herbert Hoover Paul Jennings John F. Kennedy Anna Roosevelt Halsted Eleanor Roosevelt Elliott Roosevelt James Roosevelt II Theodore Roosevelt Helen Herron Taft Margaret Truman Edith Bolling Galt Wilson
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
2009 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Located in Dupont Circle neighborhood, Northwest - East of Rock Creek
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Located in Dupont Circle neighborhood, Northwest - East of Rock Creek