The elegant Tudor-style house at 1825 R Street, unlike many 19th century mansions built near Washington’s Dupont Circle, has survived to acquire an exciting new life and purpose as the International Student House (ISH), a home to the world.

ISH began modestly in 1936 with the purchase of a five-story building at 1708 New Hampshire Avenue, NW (now the Embassy of Eritrea) for $30,000 by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a national organization of philanthropy-minded Quakers. The original House accommodated 18 students, mostly individuals of color needing a warm environment in the then racially segregated city of Washington.

By the end of World War II, ISH needed more space. In 1946, AFSC purchased the home of Demarest Lloyd at 1825 R Street for $144,465. In an all-day, driving rainstorm in January 1947, residents moved into the building that is today’s main building of ISH. It was built in 1912, with a Tudor design and a Great Hall, renamed the Burling Hall in 2004, which was built to resemble Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, England. The Demarest Lloyd family left to ISH their valuable antiques and paintings, most of which now adorn the Burling Hall.

In 1967, five years after ISH had established itself as an independent, non-profit organization, a second building, known as Van Slyck, was constructed adjacent to the main building. Formerly tennis and volleyball courts, Van Slyck Hall doubled the capacity of ISH to 60 residents. Twenty years later, ISH purchased a building at 1824 Riggs Place, now known as Marpat Hall. Located directly behind Van Slyck Hall, Marpat Hall now houses more than 30 male residents, which has increased the capacity of ISH to 100.

ISH residents are among the thousands of eager young men and women from around the world who come to Washington each year for graduate work, scholarly research, professional training, internships, and an American experience. Residents study or intern at such institutions as the Smithsonian, Johns Hopkins University, the National Institutes of Health, Georgetown University, the National Gallery of Art, the White House, the Library of Congress, and embassies.

For those who live at the International Student House, the experience is uniquely enriching. They arrive as strangers, but leave as members of an international community, sharing a common bond of the transforming experience from living together in a new country. When they leave, residents take with them a greater respect for the diversity of cultures as well as lifelong friendships formed from the daily life at the International Student House.

Since 1962, ISH has been an independent tax exempt, non-profit corporation with oversight from an active, all-volunteer board of directors. The Board and the staff of the International Student House are well aware that residents, preparing for careers as government officials, business leaders, engineers, teachers, journalists, and lawyers, will return home to help shape the futures of their countries. ISH residents return home with rich memories and strong bonds, with new friends and neighbors from around the world. They will have learned that people from different cultures and conflicting beliefs can work together and form enduring friendships despite those differences.

At the heart of each resident’s experience is the House itself. Its grand Burling Hall, library, oak-paneled dining room, and spacious walled garden have an appealing graciousness that provides a natural setting for events both planned and spontaneous. The Burling Hall can accommodate 120 persons for lectures, concerts, and other gatherings. The dining room seats 70. There is also a study area above the Burling Hall equipped with computers and high-speed internet access for the residents’ use. All common areas and resident rooms have high-speed internet access.

In the supportive and homelike environment of ISH, residents get to know each other quickly. They dine together at breakfast and dinner. They explore Washington together and travel to other cities during weekends and holidays. They live an active and multi-cultural life. The residents share cultural nights, various recreational activities, and trips arranged with the help of staff. The House sponsors dynamic lectures, concerts, and receptions. A Student Council, elected by the residents, participates in representing resident interests and in planning and producing the various social and cultural programs, such as cookouts, dances, and holiday parties. The weekly Sunday afternoon tea has drawn together residents, alumni, Board members, and the local community for more than 50 years.

About 15 percent of the residents are Americans, who make a major contribution to the success of the House’s programs, while enjoying a multi-cultural experience. They have many opportunities to explain the United States to their international friends. In return, they practice other languages, sample other cultures, and gain insights into new ways of thinking.

ISH is self-supporting and self-sustaining. Student board and room fees cover most of the one million dollar operating budget. The balance is raised by the Board of Directors’ fund-raising activities. The Board maintains an endowment fund, as well as a reserve fund primarily for cash-flow demands. In addition to the Board, ongoing management of ISH is the responsibility of a full-time Executive Director and a well-trained staff enthusiastically dedicated to the ISH mission.

All those associated with ISH and its programs feel privileged to support the vision of its Quaker founders, providing a place in the nation’s capital where international understanding can flourish among young men and women of all races, cultures, and creeds from around the world.