AROUND TOWN

Described in a 1961 Washington Post article as a “squat yellow building,” this small one-story structure was constructed by the Republic of Cuba, and was the location of several Cuban annex offices.

From the mid-1940’s until early 1959, the building served as the Military, Naval and Air Attache offices for the Cuban Embassy located at 2630 16th Street, NW. In April 1959, the Castro regime took control of the Cuban government and ousted and/or executed any Bautista-appointed government officials. In 1961, after the Bay of Pigs operation, the US completely severed diplomatic relations with Cuba and closed the embassy and the 2639 16th Street, NW annex building.

The annex remained closed until 1977, when President Carter resumed limited diplomatic relations with Cuba. Accordingly, from late 1977-1990, under the auspices of the Embassy of Czechoslovakia, a Cuban Interest Section opened at 2639 16th Street, NW, where Cubans and Americans could obtain passport and visa issuance assistance, authentication of documents and other services. In 1990, after the communist goverment in Czechoslavakia was abolished, the Czechoslovakian government severed diplomatic ties with Cuba. In 1991, a Cuban Interest Section was established under the Embassy of Switzerland. The relationship with Switzerland continued until 2015 after which President Barak Obama resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba, and control of the Cuban Interest Section returned to the Cuban Consolate. In addition, the Embassy of Cuba located at 2630 16th Street, NW, reopened after having been closed since 1961. Today, while the Embassy remains open, the annex building has closed. Future plans for the building are unknown.

The Cuban Annex is in the Meridian Hill Historic District but is not a contributing structure.