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Ebenezer's Coffee House. Photo: Andrew Lightman

“A modern, harmonic, and lively architecture is the visible sign of an authentic democracy” -Walter Gropius-

The best urban renovation brings together the old and the new,  respecting and preserving the dignity of the past while ushering in the modern to give new purpose to the old structures. The building at 201 F Street NE now houses Ebenezers Coffee House. Prior to the renovation of this site in 2006, this single story building was a sadly dilapidated blue structure with bricked in windows. But it had fine bones, and a lovely curved roof line which suggested its original purpose when it was built in 1906 as a market and diner serving “butter and eggs” to workers and passengers from Union Station. Later the building would be used as a taxi call center and then condemned and abandoned. As a student living on Capital Hill, I often walked by this building and I wondered what it had been during its heyday at the turn of the century. I daydreamed about transforming it into a something new and cool like a pub or a bookstore.

In 2002, Mark Batterson, pastor of  the National Community Church, had the idea to purchase the site and convert it into a coffee house, church offices and a performance space for hosting bands and church functions. To date Ebenezers has been incredibly successful for the Church, bringing in revenues of $87,737 this year so far which translates to over 60,000 cups of coffee.  In fact NCC is contemplating opening another location. Ebenezers is ranked by AOL as the District’s number one independently owned coffee house, and it routinely rounds out many lists of the top 10 best coffee houses in the area. This renovation is a great example of how old structures can be repurposed to bring vitality and energy back into the urban space.

The lead architect on this project was Michael Foster of MTFA Architecture. Foster has done many projects on Capital Hill including a renovation of the visitor’s center for the Library of Congress. Foster said that when he began the project that the original building was “ready to fall down on itself.” It had been boarded up for many years with the floors completely rotted out and the structure was open from the basement all the way up to the sky. Indeed the building had been condemned. “It was not even safe to be around it” stated Foster.

The building was designated as a historical landmark and thus the city and the local historical preservation society wanted the original brick facade preserved and intact. Preserving it added tremendously to the overall cost of the project, but  NCC and Foster agreed that the preservation was worth the cost.  Just as the original small market building was an integral part of the historic fabric of the neighborhood, NCC is also part of the fabric of the community. Unlike other churches, NCC services are held in public places such as Union Station and the Movie Theaters in the Ballston Common Mall. Pastor Batterson has often stated that NCC does not wish to build a traditional church structure because there is no better venue for connecting with people than these public spaces.  Foster stated that the increased cost was “an investment to put forward a modern vision of church in a historic community.”

Foster took his inspiration from the challenge of respecting the historical structures that surround the project without mimicking them. In his own design he wanted to reflect and capture the “rhythmic vertical base of the townhouse residential structures adjacent to both sides of the project.” The main building’s squared cantilevered corners achieve this. The turned towers which are the corners of 201 F Street reconcile the masonry context of the building and are filled in with glass so the design is very open. It’s a perfect retail and gathering space.

Foster said that he also drew on the transitional structures around the project. The Thurgood Marshall Judiciary Building across the street from 201 F Street being is an example of such a structure. This building is open and modern in its design, particularly the atrium which is very beautiful at night when it is lit up. The architect of this building, Edward Larabee Barnes, wanted to reflect the Beaux Art style of Union Station in the structure’s more traditional details such as the curved windows and faux columns on the facade. This detailing reflects the historical context of the building’s location at the crossroads of government and history.

Pastor Mark Batterson says that Ebenezers reflects the NCC view that “Jesus did not just hang out in the synagogues, but he also hung out at wells.” Wells were natural gathering places in ancient culture and the new urban coffee house is a post modern well. According to Batterson, NCC wanted to build a place where church and community could intersect. “Ebenezer’s relationship with NCC is subtle, for example the inspirational quotes on the recycled sleeves for the coffee cups or the Fair Trade coffee that’s served. By the way, the coffee and lattes are excellent and there’s free WiFi.”