Red Cross

The Red Cross Museum on 17th Street NW

Founded in 1881 by Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has grown into an international aid organization that provides comfort and aid to victims of disasters locally, nationally, and internationally. Whether your home burns down or you've survived a hurricane, the Red Cross has been one of the first aid organizations to mobilize and deliver supplies to people all over the world.

This building, on 17th Street NW not far from the White House, is the original headquarters of the American Red Cross. Over the portico are the words "To the Heroic Women of the Civil War"--a tribute to those brave women who provide medical assistance and comfort to the wounded and dying of the that national conflict. It was after the war that Barton organized the Red Cross, based on the need she saw during the Civil War. Today, this building serves as a museum, while the American Red Cross' headquarters have moved up a few blocks to E and 22 Streets NW.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/07.