Extremely rare old photo of the White House stables from the 1850s. Click on it for incredible details.

Take a look back in time at this beautiful 1856 photo of the Smithsonian Castle. Click to see incredible details from Ghosts of DC.

Look back in time to 1855 and get a fascinating bird's-eye view of Georgetown, D.C. in this beautiful painting. Source: Library of Congress.

See the oldest known photo of the U.S. Department of State, taken in 1857. Learn more about the old State Department building before it was located in Foggy Bottom and even before it was located in the State, War, and Navy Building next to the White House.

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.

A glimpse into history with a look at the 1858 plan for the Navy Yard. Discover the fascinating details of this historic document, with images and more!

Take a look at the White House conservatory in 1857, and get a glimpse into what life was like during the presidencies of James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce. The conservatory was eventually demolished to be replaced by the West Wing.

Take a journey back in time to 1850s Washington with this detailed map which marks all the buildings, roads, and rural property owners. Discover fascinating large plots of land outside Boundary Street with this map from the Library of Congress.

Check out this rare photo 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. Click on the top image and find out what you see.

Take a look at this amazing piece of history: an 1852 dollar bill issued by the Bank of the United States. Read more to learn the story behind this incredible currency item.

Discover a fascinating old advertisement sent in by a GoDCer. Nancy sent in an old ad for her great-great grandfather's business. See the ad and learn more about its history.

Take a journey back in time and behold spectacular photos of the U.S. Treasury Department Building's construction in the 1850s! Plus, check out two other amazing photos of the building from 1890 and 1860.

Explore an 1857 view of Washington, D.C. with the Smithsonian in the distance. Click on the image for a larger version to study. See if you can spot the Washington Monument just out of the frame on the right.

David Levy Yulee, of Florida, was not only one of the first senators from that state, but he was also the first Jewish senator.

Learn what Good Hope Hill in Anacostia was like in 1857 - and how a sober gardener could earn $200 per year! Later, it was the location of the German Orphan Home.

How much did a train ticket cost from Washington to St. Louis in 1854? We found the answer in an old advertisement: $26.50 - roughly $660 in today's money. Compare this with a flight today, which costs around $280.

Take a look back in time with this fascinating video showing a collection of old photos of Washington D.C. Get a glimpse of the city's past and see how it has changed over the years.

Did you know there was a stolen sailboat in 1854? Read the full unsolveted mystery of the stolen boat ad in the Daily Evening Star, July 5th, 1854. Did they ever find the boat?

160 years ago today, Montgomery C. Meigs placed an advertisement in the Daily Evening Star for skilled bricklayers to help in the expansion of the U.S. Capitol. Check out a great photo from 1858 of the Capitol under construction!

Take a step back in time and explore a bit of American history with this look back at an 1854 Omnibus advertisement from the Daily Evening Star. See how transportation has changed over the years!

A beautiful stereoscopic image of the President's mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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.

There was a time when Washington, even the city itself, was very rural. Imagine livestock roaming the streets, unpaved roads, and small farms in the District.

A rare painting of Washington from the late 1840s or 1850s, done by Augustus Köllner, has been uncovered. The view is from an angle south of the Capitol, looking northwest. See the beautiful watercolor painting at the Library of Congress.

GoDCers love maps and Matt on Etsy has some amazing vintage DC maps for sale! Check out his 1851, 1819, and 1846 maps of DC to hang on your wall, or get one of these as the perfect Christmas present!

Discover the history of the Beale family and the origins of Bloomingdale. From the estate to the War of 1812 to the U.S. Census in 1850, learn the fascinating story behind this D.C. neighborhood.

Follow the wild and violent life of Congressman Philemon T. Herbert, from his carousing in California to his fateful altercation with a waiter in Washington, DC. Read all about his story here!

Take a look at an isometrical view of the White House and the surrounding area in the 1850s. This unique view was found in the Library of Congress archives and was done in 1984.

Check out this amazing 1851 map of Washington, D.C.! I found this gem on the Library of Congress' website. Sign up for our updates and follow us on Facebook for more discoveries from Ghosts of DC.

In 1854, John Carroll Brent called upon Americans to donate funds to complete the Washington Monument with the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations. Learn more about this failed attempt and the history of the monument.