The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. (), is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States. It is located at 2622 16th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Meridian Hill neighborhood.
Building The building was designed by architect George Oakley Totten Jr. It was built in 1909 by Senator John B. Henderson and his wife Mary Foote Henderson. In 1924, Kazys Bizauskas, the envoy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States, purchased a building with a substantial plot of land on 16th Street for 90,000 dollars. In the 1950s, the southern wing of the building was demolished, and the narrow northern wing of the villa is still occupied by the Lithuanian Embassy today. It was damaged when a bomb was detonated at the next-door Cuban Interests Section on May 19, 1979. At the time the building was occupied by the Lithuanian diplomatic service acting in conditions of exile. Its meager budget did not allow for extensive repairs. Therefore, Stasys Antanas Bačkis organized a fundraising campaign among Lithuanian Americans and collected about $130,000. The repairs and much needed reconstruction was carried out in 1981–1983. Between 2004 and 2007, the building was extended by a new western wing in the courtyard, and a capsule containing a letter from the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, to future generations was embedded in the wall. The Embassy's renovation was designed by New York architect Saulius Gečas.
History
After World War I, Lithuania regained independence from the Russian Empire and opened legations to establish independent diplomatic representation. At the time, the legation was the standard form of diplomatic mission, and only Great Powers established embassies in each other's capitals. Although Lithuania was occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, its prewar government had instructed its diplomats to maintain an independent presence in exile. After the war, the embassy became the standard form of diplomatic representation, but Lithuania could not receive a U.S. Ambassador since its territory was occupied by the Soviet Union. By 1990, the Baltic legations were the last remaining legations in Washington, D.C. In 1991, an independent Lithuania finally upgraded its legation to an embassy.
Ambassadors The ambassador of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. is the representative of the Lithuanian government for the US government.
Diplomatic agrément Diplomatic accreditation Ambassador Observations President of Lithuania President of the United States Term endLegation opened. Aleksandras StulginskisWarren G. Harding Chargé d'affairesAleksandras StulginskisWarren G. HardingKazys BizauskasChargé d'affairesAleksandras StulginskisCalvin CoolidgeKazys BizauskasAleksandras StulginskisCalvin CoolidgeBronius Kazys Balutis Antanas SmetonaCalvin CoolidgePovilas ŽadeikisAntanas SmetonaFranklin D. Roosevelt Chargé d'affaires –Dwight D. EisenhowerStasys Antanas BačkisChargé d'affaires –Jimmy CarterStasys Lozoraitis Jr.Chargé d'affaires –Ronald ReaganPresident Bush announced that the US was prepared to immediately establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Lithuania Vytautas LandsbergisGeorge H. W. BushDept informed that the Government of Lithuania wished to raise Legation to Embassy Dept agreed Nov 19 Vytautas LandsbergisGeorge H. W. BushStasys Lozoraitis Jr.Vytautas LandsbergisGeorge H. W. BushAlfonsas EidintasAlgirdas BrazauskasBill ClintonStasys Sakalauskas Algirdas BrazauskasBill ClintonVygaudas UšackasValdas AdamkusGeorge W. Bush Valdas AdamkusGeorge W. BushŽygimantas Pavilionis Dalia GrybauskaitėBarack Obama Dalia GrybauskaitėBarack ObamaAudra PlepytėGitanas NausėdaJoe BidenJuly 24, 2025September 5, 2025Gediminas VarvuolisGitanas NausėdaDonald TrumpChief of Protocol,
See also Lithuania – United States relations
References
External links
Official website wikimapia