Below is a great photograph that we found on Shorpy. The young boy riding down the hill is Clarence Sherrill, Jr., son of Col. Clarence Sherrill, the superintendent of public buildings in D.C. At the time of this photo, in 1922, the family lived at 1839 California St. NW. Below is the Google Street View of the block. It’s not ... Read More »
Here’s another map of Swampoodle from 1903. Make sure you check out the 1888 one and compare them. This has the proposed Union Station superimposed over the neighborhood and you’ll see some familiar street names which appear to have been recycled in different neighborhoods. Read More »
What an awesome headline … we have to share this one with GoDCers. On October 28th, 1957, the Washington Post reported on a bizarre incident, where a man took a streetcar for an illegal joyride on Pennsylvania Ave. You have to read this to believe it. Clayton Morgan Jr., 40, of 1602 4th st. nw., was charged yesterday with stealing ... Read More »
This is a fascinating real estate section to study. Click on it for greater detail and check out the ads for homes in Mt. Pleasant, Cleveland Park and Columbia Heights. Read More »
Below is a photograph of five newspaper boys in front of the Capitol Building. It’s always great to see these photos accompanied with the names of those in the picture. We’ll see what we can dig up on these young boys. All the boys in the photo were first generation Americans, having parents that immigrated at the end of the ... Read More »
Have trouble finding a horse to get groceries? Want to get out town for the weekend? Look no further than John C. Howard’s stable on G St. This is another incredible photo from the 1860s with great detail. Click on it to get a closer look. Read More »
Here’s a powerful photo. The soldier looks absolutely thrilled to be back and hold, what appears to be, his baby. The baby, on the other hand, not so thrilled to be handled. Read More »
This is great. It’s an advertisement from the Washington Post on September 8th, 1889. Read More »
GoDC buddy Wayne has kindly requested some digging into the story of the “hobbit homes” on V St. NW. We’re happy to oblige as we are quite curious of their origins. So, this will be a unique “If Walls Could Talk” for GoDCer Wayne. The homes we are investigating are situated about two blocks from 18th and U St. NW. ... Read More »
Meridian Hill was once graced with the presence of a magnificent castle. Yes, a castle. Boundary Castle, also known as Henderson Castle and sometimes Prospect Castle, was the home of John and Mary Henderson. John, being the former Senator from Missouri who authored the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and Mary being the powerful socialite who established 16th St. NW as ... Read More »
GoDCers love maps … and they love Swampoodle. If you’re unfamiliar with Swampoodle, it was a rough and tumble, working-class Irish neighborhood which was destroyed to make way for Union Station in the early 1900s (stay tuned for another map of the area showing the proposed rail station). Here is a Google Map of the same area today. Read More »
Ugh, nobody likes parking meters. I always forget to have enough change, but thankfully, Parkmobile has saved the day. But, for our less fortunate grandparents, the installation of parking meters was a serious pain in the ass back in the 1930s. This brilliant, money making nuisance was first installed in Oklahoma City in 1935 to help reduce congestion and encourage ... Read More »
I guarantee that just about every GoDCer out there has either been to Clyde’s, or one owned by them. The Clyde’s Restaurant Group has a big footprint in D.C. and the surrounding area, with Old Ebbitt Grill, 1789 Restaurant, The Tombs, The Hamilton and a handful of Clyde’s scattered throughout the metropolitan area. I’ll also go out on a limb ... Read More »
This is a great one. We finally dug up a few good maps of the surrounding area, outside the District line. This shows Bethesda and a chunk of Montgomery County (why is it named Montgomery County?). Click on it for a larger map. Read More »
We suspect that most GoDCers would find this subject fascinating, much like we do. The little device, which now fits in our pocket and controls our life, dates back to the decade following the Civil War. Can you imagine a time when calling on someone actually meant going to their place of residence? One of the more amusing articles we ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington