"A Hecht of a Job"
The 575 7th Street Main Tower at Terrell Place is a redevelopment of the former Hecht Company department store into Class A office space. Hecht’s was founded in 1857 by Samuel Hecht, Jr. who had emigrated from Germany only twelve years before. The original family owned stores were located in Baltimore, Maryland but on March 20, 1896 a Washington store was opened under the direction of Alexander Hecht. In November of 1925 the store location was moved to a new building at the corner of 7th and F Streets Northwest.
The architecture of this building is impressive incorporating heavy cast iron gothic ornamentation in the ground floor spandrel panels and entrance canopy. Details like the tiny gargoyles with lion’s and eagle’s heads make these functional and enduring “eye candy”. All had to be removed for restoration. After cleaning, repair and refinishing they were installed on the renovated structure. The complete complex connects the original department store with an adjacent 5-story historic commercial building and a new 11-story office tower.
The Hecht Building is now known as Terrell Place.
The restored canopy with spandrel balconies makes for an impressive entrance.
A tiny gargoyle punctuates each corner of the balcony assemblies.
Architectural Drawing of the Spandrel Balcony
Photos, Ron Blunt
