Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington

To the best of our knowledge, this is 901 U St. NW, currently occupied by über-popular Brixton. Check out the photo of the front today … you can definitely see the resemblance. Below is the Google Street View of the spot before renovation. Amazing transformation, right? Move the map around a little bit, because it’s pointing at the 9th St. side ... Read More »

What an incredible shot, frozen in time. Click the image for higher resolution and look at the details of the United Cigar Stores. Co. You can study this photo for a while. It’s pretty fascinating. Above the cigar store is a dentist’s office, that of Dr. Johnston. I was able to dig up an advertisement from that same July of ... Read More »

These high-resolution photos continue to amaze me with their details. This one is from 1915, showing some activity on 9th St. NW, near downtown. The block on the left is currently occupied by the FBI building. Click the image for greater detail and look carefully at all the stores on the left. Part of me wishes Officer Sprinkle would turn ... Read More »

Some time ago, way back in the day, purchasing a firearm was much easier. About 96 years before the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling dramatically altered the gun-owning landscape in our city, you could walk down to National Sporting Goods Co. at 424 9th St. NW and pick up a 12 gauge Remington automatic (i.e., a serious shotgun) for ... Read More »

Check out this ridiculously anachronistic advertisement from 1906. The one above, and below are, for gas ranges by S.S. Shedd and Brothers located at 432 9th St. NW (now where the FBI building stands). Related articles Budweiser: Palatable, Healthful, Nutritious. Instrinsically Good. (ghostsofdc.org) Congress Heights: The Healthiest and Most Delightful Suburb of Washington (ghostsofdc.org) Arnold’s India Pale Ale: The Invalid. ... Read More »

Once again, our favorite hero has come to the rescue. This tale from the annals of Officer Sprinkle dates back to July 1st, 1914. The Washington Post reported a story about an explosive device found in a telephone box near the Old Masonic Temple. Read More »

Yet again, I find something to share on Shorpy. This one is gruesome, but too crazy not to post. This was a big story at the time, in July of 1920. The murders happened after a robbery gone wrong. Jean and Katherine Odiscus died from gunshot wounds suffered during their attempted robbery of Theodore Apostalos Koukos at 809 9th St. ... Read More »