The White House East Wing: From Jefferson’s Vision to a $250 Million Ballroom
FDR built the East Wing in 1942 as cover for a real White House bunker. Decades later, it was torn down for a $250 million ballroom.
The Best Of
The Ghosts of DC posts readers come back to. The Bunny Man, Murder Bay, the Iran Embassy, the Reston origin story, and the rest of the ones that keep getting shared.
Why the Pentagon Has Five Sides: It’s Not What You Think
The Pentagon wasn’t designed to be five-sided. In 1941, architects had 72 hours to fit a building around a five-road intersection. The shape stuck.
The Night Benny’s Died: How 1980s Developers Erased D.C.’s Red-Light District
In the 1950s, the top entertainers in the country performed on 14th Street NW. By the early 1980s, it was known as Washington’s “combat zone,” lined with topless bars and adult bookstores. By 1986, it was rubble. What happened in between reveals how gentrification works when moral crusades and economic interests perfectly align.
The Brickskeller: Dupont’s Legendary Basement of Beers
Brickskeller was an iconic DC institution that many locals remember fondly. Learn about its slow demise and the beer renaissance that arrived in DC, as well as a look back at the 1957 advertisement for its opening.
Braddock’s Rock: A Stone Steeped in History and Controversy
Braddock’s Rock was where General Edward Braddock reportedly camped on the Potomac in 1755, with a young George Washington along.
Harrison Dyar: The Scientist Who Dug Secret Tunnels Under D.C.
In 1924, construction near Dupont Circle broke into a secret tunnel. Smithsonian entomologist Harrison Dyar had hand-dug it.
The Maryland Goatman: The Real 1970s Story Behind the Legend
In 1971, a dog named Ginger was found decapitated near Fletchertown Road in Bowie. Her owner blamed the Maryland Goatman.
The 1910 Plan to Take Alexandria Back from Virginia
In 1910, Taft, Hannis Taylor, and Washington’s Board of Trade tried to undo the 1846 Alexandria retrocession. Virginia and a lame-duck clock stopped them
The Tombs in Georgetown: The Bar That Inspired St. Elmo’s Fire
Discover the real-life inspiration for St. Elmo’s Bar from the iconic 1985 movie. Georgetown’s The Tombs played a starring role in shaping this classic spot.