The Embassy of Armenia in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Armenia located near Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. The embassy is located at 2225 R Street, NW in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood.After declaring independence in 1991, Armenia began diplomatic relations with the United States.An embassy was established in February 1993 with the arrival of Ambassador Rouben Shugarian. The current ambassador, Grigor Hovhannissian, was appointed in January 2016.Building historyDesigned by local architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. in 1909, the Mediterranean Revival style building originally served as the residence of Amaryllis Gillett. Subsequent owners included Congressman Gilbert M. Hitchcock and the International Institute of Interior Design (IIID). After the IIID merged with Marymount University in 1990, the property sat vacant until it was purchased by the Armenian government in 1995. The $2.3 million purchase of the structure and its later renovations were paid for in part by substantial donations from the Armenian American community. The 2009 property value of the Armenian embassy is $3,675,890.