Embassy of the United States, Paris

48°52′04.39″N 2°19′14.64″E / 48.8678861°N 2.3207333°E / 48.8678861; 2.3207333

The Embassy of the United States in Paris, France is located at 2 avenue Gabriel, on the northwest corner of the Place de la Concorde, in the 8th arrondissement.

The buildings

The United States Department of State owns three buildings in Paris to support its diplomatic, consular, trade, and cultural activities.

The chancery

The four-story chancery, housing the ambassador's office, faces the Avenue Gabriel and the gardens of the Champs-Élysées; it is beside the Hôtel de Crillon. It was built in 1931, following the demolition of an existing structure. Designed by the New York City architectural firm of Delano & Aldrich along with French architect Victor Laloux, the chancery building has a facade that conforms with other buildings on the Place de la Concorde, as required by French law.

The Talleyrand building

The so-called "Talleyrand building" at 2 rue Saint-Florentin formerly housed the American Embassy Consular Services, Public and Cultural Affairs offices, several other government agencies, and the George C. Marshall Center. Most of these offices have been moved to the embassy proper. Constructed in 1769 as a private residence, the property was acquired in 1812 by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, who owned it until his death in 1838. It was then purchased by the banker James Mayer de Rothschild, whose famous family, the Rothschilds, owned it for over a century, until 1950, when it was acquired by the U.S. Government.

The Ambassador's residence

The nearby property at 41 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, known as the Hôtel de Pontalba, was built by Louis Visconti for the New Orleans-born Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba between 1842 and 1855. Edmond James de Rothschild acquired the building in 1876. His estate sold it in 1948 to the United States Government, and today it is the American ambassador's residence.

United States representatives in France

As of 20 January 2009, fifty-three people have represented, in France, the interests of the United States of America (or its predecessor colonies/states prior to the 1789 ratification of the U.S. Constitution) as envoy, minister plenipotentiary, minister, ambassador, or chargé d'affaires. For a complete list of these individuals and the dates and circumstances of their service, see the article entitled United States Ambassador to France.

External links

Website of the Embassy of the United States in Paris