Fraternity-Testvériség, 2004 (82. évfolyam, 2-4. szám)

2004-04-01 / 2. szám

Page 15

Fraternity- Testvériség

well it was taken care of, in light of the materials used in Washington’s day,” commented Peggy Fabri. Kathy Megyeri summed it all up by saying, “Days with these ladies remind me of how special the HRFA Directors’ wives are. There’s a joy of belonging together in the company of Martha Washington that made the day special.” I second that, Kathy! After lunch and some shopping, we returned the ladies to their hotel.

God continued to bless us with great weather on Wednesday as we headed off to tour the State Department Reception Rooms. It was nice to have all the Board wives

who were in town together for the day. This tour required reservations and prior security clearance. These

rooms, which opened in 1961, are

At the State Department: left to right: Margaret used for offi- Erdei, Maria Kovács, Margaret Pauli,Sara Nagy, cial functions Marge Nicholas, Cindy Torok, Peggy Fabri, ^e gec- Linda Martin and Kathy Megyeri retary of

State and other high level government officials. Over 80,000 guests are entertained here each year. Flere you’ll find premier collections of 18th century American furniture and art work. Our guide called the rooms a “working museum." Many pieces are on loan from the “Becoming a Nation” exhibit. Other pieces have been acquired through donations, not tax dollars. Everything was made in America with the small exception of the English breakfronts (only one was made in the U.S.A.), English chandeliers and Persian rugs. In the John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room, there are two large, red upholstered chairs which are used by the present Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the visiting foreign dignitary as they receive their guests. Another noteworthy piece of furniture is an architectural desk designed by Thomas Jefferson on which portions of the Declaration of Independence were written. The 26th Amendment to the Constitution was also signed on this desk which gave 18 year olds the right to vote. As we entered the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room, which was done in shades of mauve, we gazed in awe. Faux mauve and ivory marbled Corinthian columns copied from an 18th century design lined the long walls. Eight chandeliers sparkled overhead as if guarding the Presidential seal done in plaster and enhanced with gold leafing on the ceiling. This room presented the perfect photo opportunity as we each had a chance to give our “speech” at the official podium! I’m sure many of us on the tour walked around thinking of the dignitaries who had passed through these rooms. You too can tour these rooms at home at www.state.gov/m/drr.

Next it was back to Dupont Circle for a wonderful Italian lunch at Otello's. Since this was our last day of making the Washington scene together, Kathy made special presentations to each lady, courtesy of her husband, Les. Ask any Board member’s wife, in attendance, about her special “pin”, chosen just for her! Kathy had special surprises for us each day we were together.

After lunch, we took a short walk to our next stop. It’s a little known gem hidden in the HRFA neighborhood at 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW. It’s the 1899 Christian Heurich Mansion. This 31 room home, made of concrete and steel, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the home of the German immigrant brewing giant who opened the first brewery here in 1873 on the site of what is now the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. As we entered the late Victorian style house, we were personally greeted by Gary Heurich, Christian’s grandson, who likes to refer to the house as the “Brewmaster’s Castle.” Twenty years ago, Gary restarted the brewing company, which closed in 1956 due to competition from national companies. After much research, Gary was able to locate Grandpa’s brewing recipes. His company produces our own “Foggy Bottom” beer and ale, which Gary named after the place where Grandpa built his second brewery. The beer is presently brewed in Utica, NY until a new brewery can be built in our nation’s capital. Christian Heurich Sr. died in 1945 at the age of 102 before Gary was even born. Gary’s father, Christian Heurich Jr., then took over. The house is a showcase of ornamental, dark, mahogany woodwork with many original furnishings, some of which were imported from Germany. The fireplace mantels were carved by German immigrants. Although it looks as if the murals on the ceilings were actually painted directly on them, they are in reality oil paintings done on canvas which were then hung. The cost of building this house in 1892 was $60,000. This was truly another trip back in time. For more, visit www.foggybottom.com.

Sara Nagy, wife of Director Tibor Nagy, summed up our days together by saying, “We never had such a beautiful schedule like this. Everyday was valuable.” Kathy and I had a good time planning our outings. She is a wealth of information and has become a great friend too! I want to thank her for all her help and for letting me “tailgate” her on the days that she and I drove the ladies to our destinations. It was the first time I had ever driven in the District! Special mention goes to Sara Nagy and Marge Nicholas, wife of Director Bill Nicholas, who were my “navigators.” Ladies, may God be with you and your families until we meet again!!