Who Were the Original Land Owners in Washington, DC?
An 1874 map shows the original landowners of the Washington city site as it appeared before 1792. These are the families whose farms became the capital.
1790s
Washington was barely a city in the 1790s. The decade opened with L’Enfant laying out his grand plan for the federal capital and closed with the government finally picking up stakes from Philadelphia and moving in. These posts cover the founding years, from the placement of the boundary stones to the earliest buildings that defined the city.
Truxton Circle: DC’s Lost Traffic Circle and Its Naval Hero
Truxton Circle lost its namesake traffic roundabout in 1947, but the story of how it got that name reaches back to the founding of the U.S. Navy and Commodore Thomas Truxtun, one of the most celebrated officers of the early republic.
President John Adams’ Letter Naming George Washington Lieutenant General
President John Adams’ letter nominating George Washington of Mount Vernon as Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief of All the Armies of the United States.
Why is Washington, DC Called the District of Columbia?
The name ‘District of Columbia’ was chosen on September 9, 1791, to honor both George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Neither was present for the ceremony.
Exploring the 1795 Plan of the City of Washington
Explore the first official plan of Washington D.C., published by Andrew Ellicott in 1792
Beautiful Prints of Washington in the 1790s by George Isham Parkyns
Take a look at these beautiful prints of Washington as it looked in the 1790s. They were done by George Isham Parkyns and show a slightly different, more pastoral landscape. See the print of the Potomac and guess which island it is!
Tunnicliff’s Tavern: The Real Story of Washington D.C.’s First Hotel
In 1796 an Englishman named William Tunnicliff opened the first hotel in Washington, D.C., a brick house on Pennsylvania Avenue SE that survived for 135 years. The place we call Tunnicliff’s Tavern today on 7th Street SE borrows the name. The original is something else entirely.
Why Is There No J Street in Washington, DC?
Washington’s street grid runs A, B, C… I, K, L. There is no J Street, and the John Jay rivalry story is wrong. The real reason is 18th-century typography.
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.