They tell me it's haunted... : K Street Magazine

but I don’t believe them. Besides, if it’s haunted with the ghosts of brewmasters past, those ghosts have got to be giddy anyway!

Tonight (Tuesday) I enjoyed an unusual evening.

You know those old homes that you pass by everyday and you wonder if you’ll ever see the inside? Like Evermay (yes!) or the Halcyon House (yes!) or the Huerich House (yes, today!)… Walking along Rhode Island Avenue (in the West End neighborhood) you’ve undoubtedly passed the “Brewmaster’s Castle,” but never walked in. Little did you know that the old family estate is now a museum and gem of local historical preservation.

According to his granddaughter, Jan Evans-House, Heurich was a ‘German Man About Town.’ That might have made it tough for the family during WWI, but in brighter times, they were the stein socialites, the pilsner philanthropists. In fact, the land that used to be the brewery was given to the government by the Heurich family to become what is now the Kennedy Center. Through a series of pass-throughs (the house belonged to the Columbia Historical Society for over 40 years), the Huerich House now rests with the Heurich Foundation, open for tours and special events throughout the year.

As I wandered through the bed and bathrooms and visited the ornate offices and other rooms (Jan tells me her favorite is the living room where they used to meet for dinner at 6 PM sharp!), I don’t feel any otherworldly presence. But maybe that’s because I hadn’t yet tasted any beer. Christian Heurich wouldn’t haunt a girl who hasn’t had a glass!

*A huge thank you to Matt Lowe, Board Member of the Heurich House, who organized an intimate dinner and tour of the house, and to Design Cuisine for the outstanding catering. We’ll be back!