Constructed in 1880, the townhouse is the last Victorian residence on Connecticut Avenue between Dupont Circle and Farragut Square that has not been significantly altered.

Following a multi-year legal battle to demolish the townhouse, which had been added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1979, the Demonet Building and adjoining lot were sold for what was then a record price for downtown real estate.

It became a commercial pioneer of what was nicknamed the Fifth Avenue of Washington, D.C. After the business was moved a few blocks north in 1927, the Demonet family continued to own the building.

[2][3] On April 23, 1880, real estate developer John Sherman was issued a building permit to construct four brick houses near the southeast corner of Connecticut Avenue and M Street.

No architect was listed on the permit, but John and his wife Ella are believed to have designed some of the houses they built and sold throughout their careers.

JOHN SHERMAN & CO..." [sic] The corner house, listed at 1756 M Street NW, was owned by William Warrington Evans from 1882 to 1901.

"[2] An article in The Washington Post from 1893 said, "Whenever it is desired to make a good impression upon some foreign potentate or distinguished citizen at the White House" that Demonet's business would do so.

[5] Jules received training in pastry and ice cream making in France and New York City and, along with his mother, continued the family business following his father's death.

In 1904 Jules hired the architectural firm owned by George Oakley Totten Jr. and Laussat R. Rogers to design a three-story brick addition on the south side (facing Connecticut Avenue) of the building.

[3] The Demonet family rented the corner building to various retailers, starting with the Madame Ash dress shop in 1928, followed by tenants selling furniture, clothing, statuary, and makeup.

[2] In 1979 the Demonet family sold the building to real estate developer Dominic F. Antonelli Jr., who planned to demolish it along with adjoining properties on M Street.

"[2][11] Wolf Von Eckardt, architecture critic for The Washington Post who had previously written a tribute to the building in 1966, implored local officials to save the building: "I hope the Landmarks Committee members will close their eyes for a moment and imagine what that corner of Connecticut Avenue will look like if the mini-Brunelleschi were replaced with a bland 12-story box – or even an interesting 12-story box.

"[2][12] The city's Joint Committee on Landmarks of the National Capital (JCLNC), in partnership with the National Capital Planning Commission, added the Demonet Building, listed at 1149 Connecticut Avenue NW and 1758 M Street NW, to the DCIHS on November 23, 1979, thus preventing the building from being demolished.

[13] In 1980 Antonelli demolished the building behind the Demonet and asked the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn the historic landmark status.

While it did apply directly to the Demonet building...what it does for the city is to give the Joint Committee a signal to go ahead, and it preserves their effectiveness.

"[15][16] The Dupont Circle Conservancy participated in the design of the new office building to ensure architectural cohesiveness with surrounding properties.