1840s

An incredible map of Washington well before the Civil War. Lovely details for you to study.

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 Hotel. Source: Library of Congress

What a fascinating old drawing from 1846. This is the proposed design for the Smithsonian Castle, Source: Smithsonian Archives

How about the 460 acres of land for sale along Rock Creek? This is the part of the park up near the Maryland border.

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 also the first Jewish senator. He...

Here is an interesting video that we found, showing a collection of really old photos of D.C.  

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 street from the George Washington House...

View from the White House in 1848, looking at the Capitol Building.

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

“Kalorama” is a Greek word meaning “fine view.” It’s also the name given to one of the finest neighborhoods in Washington. Here is a quick “Why is it Named…?” The neighborhood takes its name from an old estate, formerly located...

The United States annexed Texas in 1845 and Sam Houston was elected with Thomas Jefferson Rusk to become the Longhorn State’s first two Senators. The former President of the Republic of Texas, and one of only four men to have...

Here is a painting of Washington from the late 1840s or 1850s, done by Augustus Köllner. The view is from an angle south of the Capitol, looking northwest. We just came across this watercolor while digging through the Library of Congress archives.

I recently saw “Lincoln” with Mrs. Ghosts and was blown away by the history and power of the film. A number of visually stunning scenes depicted life in Washington during the waning years of the Civil War. The historic imagery and...

Why is it named Silver Spring? Francis Preston Blair (i.e., Blair House near the White House) came across a mica-flecked spring in Acorn Park.

Following up on our Postal Service theme from earlier today, here’s a great afternoon photo for you to stare at for a bit. It’s a daguerreotype taken by John Plumbe in 1846 featuring the post office at 8th and E...

Here is an amazing photograph (or daguerreotype) by John Plumbe taken in 1846. It shows the east front of the Capitol Building, noticeably different than it looks today. [vc_button title=”Buy This Photo” target=”_self” color=”default” size=”size_large” href=”http://www.cafepress.com/https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/01/beatles4-1.jpg.1535136880″] Source: Library of Congress

This is an amazing old photograph of the White House taken by John Plumbe, Jr. in 1846. The 11th President of the United States , James K. Polk, was the building’s occupant, having succeeded President John Tyler just the year...

I’m reading a very interesting book about Washington published in 1840 titled “A Picture of Washington.” I just got to the part where it starts talking about the taxes in the city … I have to share these with you...

Arlington is the epicenter of recent college graduates working as paralegals, consultants or in information technology. They fill the high-rise apartments or group homes lining Wilson Blvd., Fairfax Dr. and the Orange Line from Rosslyn out to Ballston. Every Thursday...

Construction of the monument began on July 4th, 1848. Progress was slow, and after ten years, construction was halted due to congressional infighting, rising Civil War tensions and lack of funds. It remained in its unfinished state through the duration...