St. Elizabeths Hospital, Stable, 2700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue Southeast, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

Significance: The stable at St. Elizabeths Hospital was built in 1901 as part of the major expansion of hospital facilities undertaken by superintendent Alonzo Richardson. Designed by the prominent Boston architectural firm Shepley Rutan and Coolidge in a craftsman style, the stable was located on the east side of what was then Nichols Avenue as part of the hospital's agricultural buildings. It was constructed in the form of a large (100' x 212') rectangle; in plan the building consists of three wings enclosing a courtyard. According to the original construction drawings, the long east wing originally contained stalls for 65 horses and mules on the first floor, with a hayloft above. The north wing housed carts and wagons on the first floor, with rooms for farm hands on the second floor. The south wing housed carriages on the first floor, with rooms for stable men on the second floor. One-and-a-half stories in height, the first floor walls of the stable were built of load-bearing brick masonry construction with stone lintels, spring blocks, and keystones. The second story walls and roof were built of wood framing and sheathed in with wood shingles. Walls and ceilings of the second floor accommodations were plastered. The accommodations were substantially renovated in 1915, including changes to the layouts and the installation of new bathrooms. Also at an early date, a number of the original gable dormers and ventilators were removed, and a new cement asbestos shingle roof installed. Some time later, at an unknown date, the original entrance archway and a portion of the west wall were demolished.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N991
Survey number: HABS DC-349-Q
Building/structure dates: 1901 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1915 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 79003101