Most people think the Pentagon's famous five-sided shape represents military symbolism or strategic design. The real story is far more surprising: the world's most recognizable military building got its iconic shape because it had to fit around the property lines of an experimental farm in Arlington, Virginia. When architects had just one weekend in July 1941 to design the world's largest office building, they shaped it to match the boundaries created by old farm roads.
This amazing old photo of the General Post Office in Washington, DC, still stands today. Check out the beautiful image from 1846. The building is now the Washington Monaco Hotel.
Discover the fascinating history of Childs Restaurant in Washington, DC - the chain that originated in New York City and spread southward. Learn about the unique building of the Massachusetts Ave. location and more.
Revisit a street corner in Washington, DC from 1942 to now with this blog post and Google Street View. See how the building across the street has changed from 1942 to now.
Digging through old newspaper archives and the U.S. Census, uncover the tragic tale of Rudolph and Mary Scheitlin that was printed in The Baltimore Sun in 1905. Learn the story of their rocky marriage, her dalliances and the fateful night that ended in murder.
Take a look back in time with this stunning view of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1920s. See the amazing photo from the Library of Congress and learn more about this historic street.
In this blog post, explore the transportation used by U.S. presidents before the iconic Air Force One. Take a look at the presidential trains, ships, and more used throughout history!
Take a look back to 1926 and an old real estate advertisement for Brookland, as found in The Washington Post. Read on to learn more about this historic advertisement!
Welcome to Map Week! Every morning, we'll share a map with the GoDC community. Check out this great 1903 map of Judiciary Square, featuring the Pension Building and City Hall in the middle. Source: Library of Congress.
Explore the 1863 convalescent camp four miles outside of Washington, run by the U.S. Christian Commission. See photos of the camp and the Commission's 1865 D.C. headquarters.
Check out this old photo from 1917 showing Post Office postmen on scooters at the Post Office in Washington D.C. It's a Segway vibe, but before the Segway! Check out the location and photo here!
In March of 1920, Charles Willis of Chicago was tragically drowned when his parachute jump from an army airplane went wrong. We explore the story of his death and the rescue efforts that followed.
