S&R Foundation to Buy Fillmore School Property


S&R Foundation has signed a contract with George Washington University to purchase the Fillmore School property on 35th Street. 

Formed in 2000 by Dr. Sachiko Kuno and Dr. Ryuji Ueno, the foundation also operates from Evermay Estate and Halcyon House in Georgetown.

S&R Foundation — which holds its Overtures Series and other musical events at Evermay on 28th Street and its Halcyon Incubator, a fellowship for young social entrepreneurs, at Halcyon House on Prospect Street — will now have a third historic property in Georgetown.

As a new owner of the Fillmore property, S&R and the announcement will likely be applauded by those live nearby, as it plans to use Fillmore as an arts incubator, which will serve as “a platform to grow talented artists in the fields of fine, visual and performing arts, maintaining the educational use of the building and its place as part of the vibrant arts landscape in the nation’s capital.”

The Fillmore School property will fit with the mission of the S&R Foundation, which is to “support talented individuals has evolved to encompass broad support of individuals with great potential and high aspirations in the arts, sciences and social entrepreneurship, with a special emphasis on furthering international cultural collaboration and ensuing social benefits .”

“Through S&R’s expansion of arts education at the Fillmore School, we will continue S&R’s commitment to supporting excellence in artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship in an environment that encourages international collaboration,” said Sachiko Kuno, CEO and president of S&R Foundation. “We also are excited to expand our commitment to supporting talented artists in Washington, D.C., especially those from underserved communities.”

The Fillmore School property, located at 1801 35th St. NW, was listed for $14 million with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty by seller George Washington University. The property holds a former D.C. public school, built in 1893, and then an arts center. It was sold to the Corcoran in 1998.  

The university acquired the historic schoolhouse and its more than one acre of land last year as part of a deal with the National Gallery of Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, when GWU took possession of all Corcoran real estate. The Fillmore space has been used by the Corcoran College of Art and Design since it purchased the former D.C. public school in 1998. Classes will be held in the Fillmore building until the end of the spring semester.

Here’s what TTR Sotheby’s International Realty wrote in its listing for the 35th Street property: “The Fillmore School is a landmark opportunity in Georgetown. Built circa 1893 and named after President Millard Fillmore, the school served as an architectural and educational anchor for the community for more than a century. The all-brick, fully detached structure encompasses nearly 23,000 square feet of finished space on four levels. Notable features include soaring ceilings, double hung windows, a modern elevator and two staircases. The existing building holds tremendous conversion potential, ranging from condominiums or apartments to office or institutional use. The 1.25-acre site offers parking for 100 cars and frontage on 34th and 35th Streets NW.”

The seller was represented by Michael Brennan, Phyllis Patterson and Brittany Patterson of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, and the buyer was represented by Mark McFadden of Washington Fine Properties.

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