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Where Can You Have an Embassy in Washington, D.C.?

You can't build an embassy anywhere in D.C. Check out this map from 1987 showing where it's okay to have your diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.
House Chamber of the Capitol circa 1908, with a quorum of ghosts in this time exposure.
Washington, D.C., circa 1908 "F Street, looking toward Treasury." Note the sign on the Lincoln Park streetcar advertising the "hydraulic dive" at Glen Echo. (Shorpy)
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You can’t just put a foreign diplomatic mission anywhere in the District. There are restrictions on where you can buy, build, or rent a property.

Below is a cool map we came across at the Library of Congress from 1987 which outlines where — pursuant to the Foreign Missions Act — it’s acceptable to house your diplomatic missions in our capital city. Here‘s a list of them on Wikipedia.

Click on the image for a more detailed version. And, if you’re interested in learning more about the history of embassy buildings around town, check out this one on the old Irish free state (now Russia House), Kenya, Indonesia, 1930s photos of the Cuban embassy, and a lot more.

Source: Library of Congress

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