The Alice Pike Barney Studio House, built on Sheridan Circle in 1902 and designed by one of Washington’s premiere architects Waddy B. Wood, was the home of philanthropist and socialite Alice Pike Barney (1857-1931), who is best remembered for her efforts to transform Washington, D.C. into the nation's cultural capital. Built in the Spanish Mission style, the building has been designated a historic landmark on Embassy Row. The entire site (the Barney Studio House and the adjacent 1 ½ story stucco carriage house built in 1911) is listed in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places. The property was purchased for use by the Embassy of Latvia in November 2001, and, while preserving the historic interior of the main two levels, underwent an extensive renovation process. At the end of 2005, the Embassy moved to this building from its historic location at 4325 17th Street, N.W. In March 2006 President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga officially opened the new Chancery building of the Embassy. Smithsonian Institution information on Alice Pike Barney Studio House, Interior