Ghosts of DC

Try an address, a neighborhood, a name or a year, like “14th and U” or “1968.”

Not sure where to start?
The Best OfThe stories readers come back to If Walls Could TalkWho lived in that house? Why Is It Named…?How DC places got their names This Day in HistoryWhat happened on today’s date
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Why Is It Named...?

The origin stories behind Washington, DC street names, neighborhood names, and landmark names. Who were these places named for?

48 stories
soldiers stand guard on Chain Bridge during the Civil War (Library of Congress)Why Is It Called Chain Bridge? The 1810 Suspension Bridge That Actually Had ChainsUpdated Mar 26Why Is It Named Centreville?Updated Nov 5, 2023Why Is It Named Reston?Updated Jan 10, 2023Rowhouses in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast DC, March 2007Why Is It Named Trinidad?Updated Mar 14, 2022Eaton School children in the 1910sDC Elementary School Names: Who Were Janney, Gibbs, Eaton and Watkins?Updated Nov 20, 2017Washington DC Street Names: Why They’re Letters, Numbers, and StatesUpdated Dec 21, 2015George Calvert - Baron of BaltimoreWhy Is It Named Maryland?Updated May 19, 2015Why Is It Named Clarendon?Updated May 18, 2015The History of Mt. Pleasant: From Pleasant Plains to The RavenUpdated Apr 2, 2015
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