Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington

The corner of 16th and H St. NW wasn’t always dominated by the Hay-Adams hotel. Prior to the hotel being built in 1928, two large and beautiful Victorian homes sat on this corner, occupied by the Hay family and the Adams family (no, not that one). John Hay was the former personal secretary to President Lincoln and Henry Adams was ... Read More »

Here is a great gallery of some Civil War photographs I uncovered at the Library of Congress. It appears that the Treasury Department is in the background of the Sanitary Commission photograph at 15th and F St. NW. Related articles Native Americans at the White House During the Civil War (ghostsofdc.org) Civil War’s 150th stirs a trove of memories (sfgate.com) ... Read More »

Here’s a photo of some kids having fun cooling off in Rock Creek. The photo is from July 28th, 1921 via Shorpy. These kids look like they’re having an awesome time and I’m guessing is one of those D.C. summer scorchers where the thermometer is hovering around 102 degrees. Look at the kid in the middle. He looks totally overwhelmed ... Read More »