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1840s

1847 Map of Washington

  • April 9, 2019
An incredible map of Washington well before the Civil War. Lovely details for you to study.
General Post Office from the corner of 8th Street and E Street, NW, Washington, D.C., the shop of Elija Dyer, merchant tailor, on the left

Rare Old 1846 Photo of Old Post Office

  • April 24, 2015
This is an amazing old photo of the General Post Office, which still stands in Gallery Place today. Check out the beautiful image below, which is from 1846. The building is now the Washington Monaco...
Proposed design for Smithsonian Institution Building by John Notman, north front elevation. It is a Gothic design with three stories, a central tower/cupola, crenellated embattlements, and symmetrical wings. The design was submitted for the competition sponsored by the Building Committee of the Board of Regents, December 23, 1846

Unbuilt 1846 Proposed Design for Smithsonian Castle

  • September 4, 2014
What a fascinating old drawing from 1846. This is the proposed design for the Smithsonian Castle, Source: Smithsonian Archives
Baltimore Sun - November 12th, 1845

For Sale: 460 Acres of Land on Rock Creek

  • January 29, 2014
Here is an old classified advertisement from The Baltimore Sun, printed on November 12th, 1845. In the ad, you’ll see some interesting property for sale, namely a large plot of lange on the Rockville...
David L. Yulee (U.S. National Archives)

First Jewish Senator and an Ardent Secessionist

  • November 26, 2013
We came across some interesting history while digging through the rabbit hole that is Wikipedia. David Levy Yulee, of Florida, was not only one of the first senators from that state, but he was...

Video of Really Old Photographs of Washington

  • August 14, 2013
Here is an interesting video that we found, showing a collection of really old photos of D.C.  
Palo Alto Hotel and Saloon - September 19th, 1899

Birth of the Cocktail at the Palo Alto Hotel?

  • June 27, 2013
Source: DC Public Library Above is a great photo that we dug up on Flickr. The saloon above is the famous old Palo Alto Tavern, formerly located in Bladensburg, Maryland. It was across the...
Washington, from the presidents house: vue de Washington, prise de la maison du president / Washington vom hause des prasidenten gesehn

1848 View From the President’s House

  • June 26, 2013
This is a great print from 1848, showing the view looking south and west from the White House. Source: Library of Congress Update: Oops, the comment below is correct. This is east, not west....
Chain Bridge at the end of the Civil War (Library of Congress)

Why Is It Called Chain Bridge?

  • February 14, 2013
In 1872, Congress appropriated $100,000 for a bridge made of iron. Construction lasted until 1874, when it was rechristened "Chain Bridge" without chains.
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