Washington Monument Could Have Looked Like This
We posted some great old alternative designs for the Lincoln Memorial a while back and they were quite popular. Well, we dug up one for the Washington Monument which you’ll surely enjoy. This one is dated...
1906 Map of All D.C. Boundary Stones
Working under commissioners that President Washington had appointed in 1790 in accordance with the Residence Act, Major Andrew Ellicott led a team that placed these markers in 1791 and 1792.
![Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t[he] United States : projected agreeable to the direction of the President of the United States, in pursuance of an act of Congress, passed on the sixteenth day of July, MDCCXC, "establishing the permanent seat on the bank of the Potowmac"](https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/06/ct001333-420x303.jpg)
Full-Color 1791 Manuscript Plan for Washington
Here is a terrific old map of the plan for the federal city. Source: Library of Congress
1793 Map of Carroll Family Land in Washington
This is a really old map of the Carroll family plot in Washington in 1793. Source: Library of Congress
1795 Map of the Territory of Columbia
Here’s a map that we haven’t come across before. This shows the Territory of Columbia and the City of Washington surrounded by Maryland in 1795. Click on it for a much larger version. Source: University of...
Map of Original Land Owners in Washington City
The map was done in 1874 and represents Washington as it would have looked before 1792.
Why Is It Named Centreville?
The town of Centreville was established in 1792, near the intersection of present day Lee Highway and Sully Road. At the time, it was a village named Newgate.
Early Map of Washington and the Patawmack
That’s right, the Patawmack River, not the Potomac. Check out this cool map of what would become the City of Washington. It was done around 1893, near the city’s centennial. Source: Library of Congress
Letter From President Adams Nominating George Washington
Check this out. What a fascinating old letter we found in the National Archives. This was penned by President John Adams on July 2nd, 1798, nominating George Washington of Mount Vernon to Lieutenant General and Commander...
What Does DC Mean in Washington, DC?
How did Washington, DC get its name? Look to both George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
Awesome: Plan of the City of Washington (1795)
Another amazing map, courtesy of David Rumsey. The map is based on the first official plan of the city, published by Andrew Ellicott in 1792. Source: David Rumsey map collection.
1790s Views of Washington
These are some great prints of Washington as it looked in the mid-1790s. They were done by George Isham Parkyns and they show a slightly different and more pastoral landscape. Here is the print of the Potomac...
Why Is It Named Meridian Hill?
This is a great bit of Washington trivia for everyone to commit to memory … especially if you live anywhere along 16th St. NW. Pierre L’Enfant had originally planned the City of Washington around a right...
Why Is There No J Street in DC? Blame Latin.
J street DC doesn't exist. Why? It wasn't about John Jay. In the English alphabet, the letter J looked too much like the letter I.
Washington is Composed of Land from 19 Original Owners
19 original landowners were negotiated with, directly by George Washington in March, 1791. He met them during the day and in the evening, closed the deal with them at Suter's Tavern in Georgetown.
Who Almost Designed the White House?
Way back in the day, the building we now know as the White House was called the “President’s Palace”, “President’s Mansion”, or the “President’s House.” The nomenclature evolved over time, with the accepted name for 1600...
Video Visualizing Early Washington, D.C.
If you’re a serious D.C. history nerd, you’ll find this just as fascinating as I do. It was produced by UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC) about a year ago. The voiceover is a little dry, but...
