In 1949, Washington opened its first elevated freeway—but the real story is the interracial engineering duo behind it. Discover how Archie Alexander and Maurice Repass built the Whitehurst Freeway and quietly broke barriers in Jim Crow-era America.
The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington D.C. was built in 1928 on the site of two private homes owned by John Hay and Henry Adams. The luxury hotel was designed by architect Mihran Mesrobian in an Italian Renaissance style.
Take a rare glimpse of the massive Navy and Munitions Buildings erected on the Mall in 1918. See how massive they were from the Washington Monument in 1942 with this incredible vantage point.
Take a look at the predictions made by Glenn Martin in 1953 for the future of aviation. See how different today is from what he envisioned, including atomic-powered planes, helicopters, and fully automatic flight operations.
Washington Monument under construction with U.S. Fish Commission hatching ponds in the foreground and Bureau of Engraving and Printing building in the background.
Explore these fascinating maps of Washington DC from 1885, which may not seem interesting to you at first, but are sure to draw your attention once you click on them and see the details.
We love old ads here at Ghosts of DC and this is a great one from The Evening Star, printed on June 24th, 1906. Three weeks later, Alfred Dreyfus was exonerated, bringing an end to the Dreyfus Affair.
Discover a rare photograph of the Washington Monument and cherry blossoms taken in the 1940s or 1950s. We dug this photo up in the Smithsonian Archives. Explore this beautiful picture!
Uncover this lost Ford Motor Company film from 1922 recently discovered in the National Archives. Watch now and explore the history of this iconic American company!
Read the tragic story of Levin Ward, a 65-year-old soldier from Tennallytown struck by the Georgetown and Tennallytown Electric Railroad's Car No. 9. See his 1880 U.S. Census entry and learn why this streetcar was cursed.
Take a look at this stunning photo of the Mall taken from the Capitol Building in 1936. Featuring the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian, this photo is a testament to the beauty of the city.
