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The Forgotten History of Camp Leach – America’s First Military Chemical Weapons Facility

Discover the forgotten history of Camp Leach, America's first military chemical weapons facility located on the grounds of today's American University in upper northwest D.C. Nearly 100,000 employees worked here during World War I. Find out more about this historic site.
The Beatles at D.C. Stadium in 1966
Washington, D.C., 1923. "City houses." One in a series of Harris & Ewing plates documenting the national capital's poorer quarters.
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Many don’t know that the U.S. military began its chemical weapons program on the grounds of today’s American University in upper northwest D.C. Nearly 100,000 employees worked at Camp Leach during World War I.

Camp Leach 1918
Camp Leach 1918

Looking at Google Maps satellite view below, you can kind of see the same layout. Mass Ave above is number 6 and intersects with today’s Nebraska Ave. near the bottom of the image.

This is what the grounds looked like.

Camp Leach 1918 - Streets of Washington
Camp Leach 1918 – Streets of Washington
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