Fraser Mansion, likely better known to you as the Church of Scientology national affairs office, resides at the corner of 20th, Connecticut, and R Streets in Dupont Circle. It certainly has an interesting history in between being built as the home for New York merchant George Fraser and becoming the national affairs office of the Church of Scientology.

The mansion, constructed in 1890 and designed by Hornblower and Marshall, is built in an eclectic, for its time, beaux arts style. Built at a cost of $75,000, it cost more than ten times the price of a typical Washington home at the time. After remaining a private residence until the 1930s, the building became a boarding house and tea house, with the Parrot Tea Room operating on the lower level.

In 1950, the boarding house was converted to a restaurant named the Golden Parrot. For some reason you’ll see the tropical, bird theme continued for quite some time at the building. The mansion was sold again in 1974, and the restaurant the Golden Booeymonger opened in the space.

Later in the 1970s, the mansion hosted nightclubs Larry Brown’s and Sagittarius. Then in 1981 the building underwent a $3 million renovation, and became restaurant the Four Ways. Not soon after, the patio-cafe Bermuda Bar and Grill opened alongside the Four Ways restaurant in the building. Bermuda Bar and Grill featured an all-you-can-eat salad bar, an unlimited Sunday brunch, and “traditional Bermuda drinks made with island rum and freshly squeezed fruit juices.”

Later in the 80s, the owner of the building proposed building out the structure into a 7-story apartment building, but Dupont residents fought the structure and the owner eventually had to declare bankruptcy. Finally, in 1994 the Church of Scientology purchased the building for $2.7 million and renovated it yet again to look like the building you see now.

Anyone have any recollections of the various restaurants and nightclubs at the mansion? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.