The Baltimore Sun had covered Washington since the paper's inception in the 1830s and opened a Washington bureau at 1418 F Street NW in 1872. However, the newspaper quickly outgrew that building. The newspaper's founder,
Arunah Shepherdson Abell identified a vacant lot nearby, blocks from the Treasury Department and the White House. It was designed by
Alfred B. Mullett and constructed from 1885 to 1887, by John H. Howlett. After Abell's death in 1888, the building's management was assumed by his son Walter and three grandsons. The building was sold at a court-ordered auction in 1904 to resolve disputes raised by Abell's daughters. After no bids were made, the building was sold to American Bank. In 1942, the tower's spire was donated to support the war effort and in 1950, the tower atop the building was condemned. The Sun Building was restored in 1983 by architects
Abel & Weinstein. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 27, 1985. Its 2009 property value is $13,931,970. ==See also==