Pierre L'Enfant had originally planned the City of Washington around a right triangle, with the eastern portion at the Capitol, the northern portion at the White House and the 90 degree angle close to where the Washington Monument sits today. Thomas Jefferson marked this spot in 1793 with a wooden post, which was replaced in 1804 with the Jefferson Pier.

The namesake in England no longer stands as it was torn down in 1962, but the one in Woodley Park is still there. In 1950 it became the property of the Maret School and currently serves as a library and administrative building.

Oliver Wolcott, Jr. We often wonder what the city was like in the early days. By all accounts, it was a miserable place to be. We dug up an interesting article in The Baltimore Sun from December 17th, 1853, which makes the same claims. The article quotes a letter written by Oliver Wolcott, Jr., written on July 4th, 1800 and addressed to his wife. At the time, Mr. Wolcott was the country’s...

The town currently known as Gaithersburg was settled in 1765 under the name Log Town. Like much of the area, it was primarily agricultural. Benjamin Gaither inherited much of the land from his father-in-law, Henry Brookes, and built a house on it in 1802.

Ball's Crossroads was established as a village in Arlington County in 1874, and in 1895, the official name was changed to Ballston.

Plan of part of the city of Washington : on which is shewn the squares, lots, &c., divided between William Prout Esq'r and the Commissioners of the Federal Buildings, agreeably to the deed of trust / laid down from a scale of 200 feet pr. inch by N. King, 1800.

Read about John Adams' proudest act: nominating John Marshall to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Learn more about the historic letter and its significance in this blog post from Ghosts of DC.

Why is Washington, DC the capital? John Adams rode from Philadelphia to DC over an entire week. Read the story of his full journey.

Who was the first mayor of Washington? It wasn't Walter Washington or Marion Barry. Have you hear of Robert Brent? He was Thomas Jefferson's friend.

What is the origin of Arlington County's name? The story dates back to an old plantation near today's National Airport.

Are you a D.C. history nerd? Check out this fascinating production from UMBC's Imaging Research Center that takes a look at what the Capitol looked like in 1814. The voiceover is a little dry, but follow along and watch the whole thing. It's very interesting!