Red Cross (American National) Headquarters - View this location on map Constructed between 1915 and 1917, this monumental white marble Classical Revival building was designed to serve a dual purpose: as a memorial to women who served in the Civil War and as administrative headquarters of the nation's official relief organization. The Red Cross began in Europe to give aid on a neutral basis to the sick and wounded during wartime. Clara Barton (1821-1912) founded the American Association of the Red Cross in 1881, and it was granted a Congressional charter in 1900. 17th and D Streets, NW, Washington, District of Columbia Historical

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