TIRANA, Oct. 1 – The U.S. Embassy in Tirana has celebrated the 24th anniversary of its reopening after a long break of 52 years from WWII until the early 1990s soon after the collapse of Albania’s communist regime.
Built in 1929, the U.S. Embassy Tirana is reported to be one of the first American Legations constructed under the 1926 Porter Legislation that established the State Department’s ability to provide U.S. Government building, embassies and consular buildings in foreign countries. Originally, the U.S. Ambassador also resided here, conducting business in a domestic setting.
Architects Wyeth and Sullivan were well-respected Washington, D.C. architects known for their stately Connecticut Avenue townhouses built for wealthy clients. Nathan Wyeth (1870-1963) also designed the first Oval Office in the White House in 1909. Inspiration for the residence was drawn from 18th-century Virginian plantation homes, such as Mount Vernon. Following WWII, Albania focused inward and during the Cold War, the house and gardens were rented to the Italian Ambassador. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Albania were reestablished on 15 March 1991, after a break of 52 years.
