The Fisher House, the first Korean Legation in the USA was located at 1513 O Street in Washington, D.C. This house was a three-story brick building with a height of 12.2m(8.84m up to the eaves) and a mansard roof. Facing the street, it is 7.32m (24 feet) wide and 23.6m(77.4 feet) depth. There is a long hallway after the entrance and a parlor with a grand fireplace next to it. This long hallway leads to a central hallway with another fireplace and a central staircase connecting the 2nd and 3rd floors. After the stairs a dining room is with a fireplace in the middle, which then leads to a pantry for dishes and the kitchen. It can also be argued that The Fisher House was the first Western-style residence for Koreans who were officially dispatched from the government. On the other hand, when living in The Fisher House, Park Jung-yang, who was sent on the three premises of the Yeonjak, directly experienced how the United States sought independence from the U.K. through the Declaration of Independence, Mount Vernon, the Washington monument, the Arlington National Cemetery, and battlefields. Even though he was summoned back to Korea by China in less than a year, Park Jung-yang actively supported the independence movement when he became acting prime minister in 1896. In this regard, The Fisher House arguably is the birthplace of Korea’s independence movement.

Abstract
1. 서 론
2. 주한미국공사관 개설과 박정양의 파견
    2-1. 정동의 주한미국공사관 개설
    2-2. 초대 주미전권공사 박정양의 파견
3. 주미조선공사관 피서옥(皮瑞屋)의 특성
    3-1. 알렌 일기(日記)와 박정양 일기의 피서옥
    3-2. 피서옥 인허가 서류
    3-3. 피서옥의 도면 분석
4. 피서옥과 박정양의 활동
    4-1. 피서옥과 박정양
    4-2. 박정양의 활동과 ‘독립’에 대한 생각
5. 맺음말
참고문헌

• 김종헌(배재대학교 건축학부) | Kim Jong-Hun Corresponding Author