Located in the heart of Georgetown, the house was built beginning in 1787 by the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert.

[1][3] Its gardens were designed by Pierre L'Enfant,[4] and for several decades in the early 19th century Halcyon House was the center of much of Washington's social life.

[3] After the death of his wife and his finances declining, Stoddert transferred ownership of Halcyon House in 1802 to his daughter, Elizabeth Ewell, and her husband, Thomas.

[5] Thomas and Elizabeth's sixth child, Richard S. Ewell, was born in the house in 1817, and he went on to become a noted Confederate general during the American Civil War under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E.

[3] The house and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places[6] and during the period Dreyfuss maintained residency and ownership, served primarily as a venue for special events.