WASHINGTON — It’s not often that a hotel can double in size, add modern amenities, and actually enhance the historical significance of the property. But that’s just what the Morrison-Clark Historic Inn & Restaurant has done with a $14 million expansion and renovation that preserved its spot on the National Register of Historic Places and its affiliation with Historic Hotels of America.

A block from the Convention Center and close to the White House and Capitol, the 14-room property combines several architecturally significant buildings on the corner of L Street and 11th Street NW, including two Victorian mansions, the former Chinese Community Church, and a carriage house dating from the early 1700s.

The striking Asian decor, by Forrest Perkins, is a nod to the Chinese Community Church legacy, said Erin Sterling, the inn’s director of sales and marketing. The church’s ornate façade is visible above the new entrance, and the sanctuary was turned into a soaring new lobby.

The Morrison house at 1015 L Street was built in 1864 by David Morrison, a developer who made his fortune selling flour and feed to the US government during the Civil War; the Clark house at 1013 L Street was built in the same year by Ruben B. Clark, an investor, grocer, and onetime Washington jail commissioner. From 1930 to 1987, the Morrison and Clark houses served as the headquarters of the Women’s Army and Navy League, who converted the property into an inexpensive place for America’s enlisted men to stay while visiting Washington. In 1987 the property became the Morrison-Clark Inn, a five-story, 20,000-square-foot building with 54 rooms and suites. William Adair, who also supervised renovations of the White House, oversaw the inn’s restoration, preserving the historic exterior and many of the interior details of the building, including Italian Carrara marble fireplaces. The latest renovation, completed in May, includes a six-story, 43,000-square-foot addition with 57 new guest rooms and three additional rooms in the original buildings.

We stayed at the Morrison-Clark Inn while the property was in the throes of renovation. We were so intrigued by its history and the ambitious renovation plan, we returned once the project was completed to see the full effect.

The streetside views have been preserved, and the new entrance incorporating the iconic façade of the church blends nicely into the neighborhood. A soaring two-story lobby in the former sanctuary features clean lines, warm woods, and sleek furniture set on carpet in soft swirls of red and gray. Ruby-red tasseled chandeliers pop against a palette of soothing neutrals. Ceramic kimonos by Georgetown artist Marcia Jestaedt provide a dramatic focal point behind the gleaming front desk. Opposite the main entrance, the lobby looks over a courtyard that echoes the minimalist decor. The 1700s carriage house – one of the oldest properties in the district, Sterling said — has been converted into a single two-level guestroom suite.

Inside, the atmosphere remains tasteful and elegant, though a country inn vibe has given way to Asian minimalism. In the guest rooms antiques are out and flat-screen TVs are in. In the restaurant the upholstered circular Victorian couch has been replaced by sleek, cream-colored chairs at dark wood tables. But the original 1864 teardrop chandeliers, 10-foot gilded mirrors, and Italian marble fireplaces remain. With all the upgrades – including expanded underground parking space and full ADA access – there is still a sense of being a welcome guest in someone’s elegant home.

MORRISON-CLARK HISTORIC INN & RESTAURANT, 1011 L St., Washington D.C., 202-898-1200, 800-332-7898, www.morrisonclark.com.

Ellen Albanese can be reached at ellen.albanese@gmail.com.