Los Quehaceres: Introduction

Former homes in our own nation's Capitol have been transformed in order to house embassies of other countries. The one pictured here is the Thomas F. Gaff house, built by Mr. Gaff for he and his wife to live in, in 1904. The architect who built this house also built the houses where other embassies are currently located in Washington, D.C.

The home was truly before its own time, having a hot air system to dry clothing. The house was sold by the Gaffs' daughter to the Colombian government in 1944.

The United States has embassies in almost every country in the world.  The embassy is often located in the capital city and, in most cases, has consular offices in major cities throughout countries with large populations of U.S. citizens.  The role of the embassy is to provide support for citizens abroad, provide visas for foreign citizens, and act as liaisons between governments.  Embassies are operated by the Department of State and provide great job and travel opportunities to people with second language skills.