Much of the interior of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington was designated a historical landmark on Thursday over the objections of George Washington University, the building’s owner.
The Historic Preservation Review Board bestowed landmark status on the monumental Beaux-Arts building on 17th Street, a block from the White House, after the structure was nominated by a local nonprofit, the DC Preservation League. George Washington University argued that the proposed designation would be a regulatory burden for the university and wanted more flexible use of the space.
The university only recently took ownership of the 1897 building. Last year, after running operating deficits for a decade, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was divided between the National Gallery, which received its 17,000-piece collection including superb examples of American art, and George Washington University, which acquired the building and absorbed the Corcoran College of Art + Design.
In 2012, the Corcoran’s board of trustees considered selling the building, prompting a handful of preservationists to submit the nomination and prevent major changes by future owners.
The landmark designation incorporates only portions of the interior including the atrium and the grand staircase. The exterior of the building has been a National Historic Landmark since 1992 but that designation did not include the interior.