International Student House of Washington, D.C.
Residence in Washington, D.C., United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The International Student House of Washington, D.C., abbreviated as I-House DC (formerly abbreviated as ISH-DC, pronounced /ɪʃ/ ish), is a residence at 1825 R St. NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., which houses primarily domestic and international students and young professionals studying or interning in the city.[3][4] It is run by a nonprofit organization, International Student House Inc.[5] It is home to up to 96 people at any given time and has more than 20,000 alumni.[6] The residence also hosts events for residents[7][8] and outside groups in its great hall, and serves breakfast and dinner to residents during weekdays.[9]
- 1825 R. St. NW, Washington, D.C., United States
| |
 Exterior of I-House DC in winter | |
| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit |
| Focus | Intercultural education |
| Location |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′46″N 77°2′32.4″W |
Region served | Worldwide |
| Members | 96 current residents, over 20,000 alumni |
Key people |
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| Budget | US$2 million[1] (2018) |
| Website | ishdc |
International Student House of Washington, D.C. | |
| Part of | Dupont Circle Historic District (ID78003056) |
| Designated CP | July 21, 1978[2] |
History
I-House DC was established in 1936 by a group of Quakers as part of the international student house movement spearheaded by the missionary Waldo Stevenson.[10][11] They sought to promote intercultural exchange[12] and to aid international students of color unable to find housing in the city due to racist housing norms prevalent at the time.[10] The group was originally located at 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW,[13][14] but in 1946, it moved to its present location, a Tudor mansion built in 1912 for Henri Meserve.[10] In 1967, an additional residential building, Van Slyck Hall, was constructed adjacent to the main building, and in the 1980s, I-House DC purchased a residential building, now named Marpat Hall, located behind the main building.[10] The main building and Marpat Hall are listed as contributing properties to the Dupont Circle Historic District.[15]
Demographics
At full capacity, I-House DC houses 96 people.[6] The house also has over 20,000 alumni.[6] Over the course of 2018, ISH hosted 194 residents from 48 countries.[16] Geographically, 38% of residents were from Europe, 28% from North America, 23% from Asia, 5% from Africa, 5% from South America, and 1% from Oceania.[16] Most ISH residents are in their 20s, with an average age of 27.[6]