This guest post by Phil Dickieson explores the history of kit homes, which were popular in the early 20th century. Learn how a $2,425 house can now be worth over $2 million!
Take a peek into the past with this old map of Georgetown from 1830. You'll notice the street names have since changed - Wisconsin Ave. was High St. and M St. was Bridge St. - and see the east-west numbered streets. Source: Library of Congress.
Hazy blue smoke surrounds the origins of the annual Fourth of July Smoke-In. Though it now takes place in Lafayette Square, across the barricaded street from the White House, it began on the Mall.
To sum up the bizarre incident, the Congressman's Lincoln was pulled over the the wee hours around 2 a.m. by the park police near the Tidal Basin. Apparently Mills' nose was bleeding and he had scratches on his face.
Take a step back in time and explore a Civil War-era photo of Independence Ave. This incredible photo showcases the Smithsonian Institution Building and the U.S. Capitol dome, taken before the 1865 fire. Source: Smithsonian Archives.
Explore a 1917 photo of the 1300 block of E Street NW in Washington, DC. Learn about the stores, people, and signs in the photo and hear a recording of Claudia Muzio.
Take a look at this fun old photo taken on December 14th, 1923. It shows a large group of boys who were Congressional pages on both sides of the aisle, battling it out with snowballs. Wouldn't it be great if Members of Congress took this tactic to solve gridlock today?
Explore East Capitol Street in 1888 with this historic map. Find wood and brick buildings from over a century ago. Discover a piece of DC history with this interactive map from the Library of Congress.
Take a look at this amazing 1907 map of Takoma Park and explore the outlines of proposed roads in and around the area. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
If you've lived in D.C. for a while, you'll remember the good old days when the W Hotel was actually Hotel Washington, the historic and storied hotel near the White House. I remember having quite a few pleasant lunches on the roof, with a spectacular view of the Washington Monument and the President's house.
Check out this amazing old photo of a makeshift post office in Washington, DC, set up to handle overflow mail during the Christmas season in 1919. Deck the truck with boughs of holly!
Explore a Metro map done with braille and discover its date. This map stops at Silver Spring, so it's some time before 1990, when Forest Glen was built. Find out more in this blog post.
