This opulent Romanesque revival mansion, once known as the Brewmaster's Castle, was the home of Christian Heurich, a German orphan who made his fortune in the beer business. Heurich's brewery was in Foggy Bottom, where the Kennedy Center stands today. Brewing was a dangerous business in the 19th century, and fires more than once reduced Heurich's brewery to ashes. Perhaps because of this he insisted that his home, completed in 1894, be fireproof; in fact, it was the first building in Washington with residential fireproofing. Although 17 fireplaces were installed -- some with onyx facings, one with the bronze image of a lion staring out from the back -- not a single one ever held a fire.

Most of the furnishings in the house were owned and used by the Heurichs. The Victorian interior is an eclectic gathering of plaster detailing, carved wooden doors, and painted ceilings. The downstairs breakfast room, in which Heurich, his wife, and their three children ate most of their meals, is decorated like a rathskeller and adorned with German sayings such as "A good drink makes old people young."

Heurich must have taken proverbs seriously. He drank beer daily, had three wives (in succession), and lived to be 102. (In 1986 Heurich's grandson Gary started brewing the family beer again, now renamed Foggy Bottom Lager. Though the beer is currently from Utica, New York, Gary vows to someday build another brewery near Washington.)

After Heurich's widow died in 1955, the house was turned over to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.; until 2003 it was used as a museum. The current owners, descendants of Christian Heurich, offer guided tours and rent the house for special events.