Smithsonian Castle in 1856
What a lovely old photo of the Smithsonian Castle in 1856. Click on it for incredible details.
View of Georgetown in 1855
This lovely painting shows Georgetown in the distance as it looked in 1855. Source: Library of Congress
Oldest Photo of State Department
This is the oldest known photo of the U.S. Department of State. The photo is from 1857 and shows the old State Department building, before it was located in Foggy Bottom, and even before it was...
Tysons Corner History: Formerly Known as Peach Grove
Tysons Corner or Tysons used to be called Peach Grove. William Tyson owned a farm west of DC which would become the site of a major shopping mall.
1858 Architectural Plan for the Navy Yard
Check this out … it’s an old 1858 plan for the Navy Yard. Source: Library of Congress
Beautiful 1857 White House and Conservatory Photo
Whoa. This one is amazing. James Buchanan was the president when this photo was taken — unless it was early that year, then it was Franklin Pierce. Source: Library of Congress The conservatory was eventually demolished...
Rare Photo of White House Stables
Have you ever seen a photo of the White House stables? We haven’t actually come across one until we found this at the Library of Congress. How cool is this? The photo was taken by Lewis...
Incredible 1850s Map of Washington
Now this has to be one of the best maps we’ve come across recently. It shows Washington in the 1850s, marking all the buildings, roads, and rural property owners. It’s really fascinating to see all the...
First Known Photo of Presidential Inauguration (1857)
This is an extremely rare photograph of James Buchanan‘s Inauguration at the East Front of the Capitol Building on March 4th, 1857. It’s a little blurry and not the highest resolution, but amazing nevertheless. The exposure...
1852 Bank of the United States Dollar Bill
How cool is this? It’s an 1852 dollar bill issued by the Bank of the United States. Source: currencyquest.com
1853 Ad for Air-Tight Burial Cases
Here’s a fascinating old advertisement sent in by a GoDCer. Nancy sent in an old ad for her great-great grandfather’s business. Source: GoDCer Nancy
1850s Construction Photos of Treasury Building
Here is a cool series of photographs from the 1850s, when the Department of Treasury’s building on 15th St. was under construction. Source: Library of Congress We have a couple other great photos of the Treasury...
Really Old Pre-Civil War Photo of Washington
Now this is a really super old photo of Washington from around 1857. Click on it for a much larger version to study it. I believe this is a view looking southeast, and the Washington Monument...
First Jewish Senator and an Ardent Secessionist
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...
Wanted: a Sober Man, Without Family
Know any sober gardeners in the area? If so, in 1857, the could have earned $200 per year, with room and board. Good Hope Hill is an area in, what is today, Anacostia. It was later...
Washington to Chicago for $18 in 1854
This is an old advertisement for railroad tickets between Washington, Baltimore and points west. A ticket from Washington to Cincinnati was $11, Chicago was $18, and St. Louis was $26.50. That ticket to St. Louis is...
Video of Really Old Photographs of Washington
Here is an interesting video that we found, showing a collection of really old photos of D.C.
$10 Reward for Stolen Sailboat
Here’s an ad in the paper that you’re not terribly likely to see today. It was printed in the Daily Evening Star on July 5th, 1854. Source: Library of Congress I couldn’t find anything about the...
