Many of you are probably shocked to hear that there was a traffic circle at 16th and U St. The intersection is already a nightmare, with New Hampshire crossing at a diagonal. If you cross as a pedestrian, you are at least 35% likely to be hit by a car screaming down 16th St., only to veer down New Hampshire ... Read More »
The massive structure at 2480 16th St. NW dominates the Kalorama block across from Meridian Hill Park. Most D.C. history nerds know that John F. Kennedy lived their with his his sister Kathleen from October 1941 to January 1942, sharing apartment 542 (some sources say apartment 502). The building has a rich history ever since it opened in 1941, just ... Read More »
What a great old advertisement for Dorchester House, the giant apartment building at 16th and Kalorama. The building openeing in 1941 and one of its early residents was our 35th President, John F. Kennedy, then a 24-year-old, living with his sister Kathleen. Gotta love this quote: “… a magnificent residential colony or superior quality.” This is such an iconic building ... Read More »
Washington Times, August 9th, 1919 A new $2,000,000 apartment hotel is to be erected at once on the property bounded by Sixteenth street, New Hampshire avenue, V and W streets. The building will be complete in every detail and will be erected according to the latest architectural designs for such structures. Announcement of the construction of the new apartment is ... Read More »
I came across a very sad article in the Washington Post the other day. This is from September 2nd, 1906 and given that a large number of GoDCers have demonstrated their interest in the macabre and tragic posts, I’ll share this with you. In the span of 12 months there were nine mysterious deaths in Columbia Heights, all within two ... Read More »
I haven’t done one of these in a while … so, GoDCer Jon, this is for you. A quick Washington Post search uncovered an article about the buildings construction. This was published on June 15th, 1919 (this happens to be the day Pancho Villa attacks Ciudad Juárez, and kicks off an incursion into U.S. territory — read the related post ... Read More »
It’s still amusing to me when the papers refer to anything north of Boundary St. (i.e., Florida Avenue) as the suburbs. I came across an article in the Washington Times from 1906, highlighting some new construction in Mt. Pleasant. The building of apartment houses goes on apace, and while the timid observer continues to deplore the increasing number and predict ... Read More »
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 »
WOW. This one is awesome. It’s a colorized photograph from 1924 and it shows cars lined up outside the District National Bank, Dupont Circle branch. I’ll need a little help locating exactly where this is. It’s highly likely that this building no longer exists. I can’t quite place it. Read More »
This looks bad. And, it is as bad as it looks. I came across this old photo on Shorpy (of course). It was a major streetcar derailment that injured 35 passengers, resulting in the arrest of both the motorman and the conductor. Read what the Washington Post had to say about it on August 2nd, 1919 … Read More »
This is a great book if you’re interested in some local Washington history. Jeanne Fogle does an excellent job highlighting sites in the District that are less known to tourists and residents alike. I tore through this book on a recent flight to California and was inspired to add no less than two dozen ideas to my list of places ... Read More »
Here’s a good one from the Library of Congress archives. It’s a drawing of the proposed new Executive Mansion, to be built on Meridian Hill (where the park is today). It looks quite ostentatious for American tastes and, in my opinion, resembles Il Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia, Rome (look here … thanks Andrea, great photo blog!). The drive for a ... Read More »
My wife is a huge fan of Corte Salon and she convinced me to start going there a couple of years ago … and I have to say, it’s definitely the best haircut I’ve ever had. So yes, this is a plug for them and the folks that work there. But second, my wife and I were chatting with the ... Read More »
I came across a great advertisement for plots in Columbia Heights. It dates back from July 20th, 1902. A few obvious differences that stick out: Georgia Ave. was named Brightwood Avenue, Irving St. was named Kenesaw St., Park Rd. east of 14th St. was named Whitney Ave. Here is some of the advertisement (paraphrased because it’s quite long). Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington