Some amazing old drawings of what our Library of Congress could have looked like.

These are old maps of Washington in 1874. They're amazingly detailed and are a "manual for business men."

These 1870s photos are incredible, showing the District just following the Civil War. Click on them for more details.

Take a journey through time and explore the construction of the Arts and Industries Building on the Mall in Washington, DC. From the 1879 photo to the 1878 rendering to the finished product, see it all!

Take a closer look at this detailed map of Georgetown from the Library of Congress. Click on the image for greater details and find out more about this historic map.

Take a look into history with this grainy image of Frederick Douglass standing in front of his home on Capitol Hill at 320 A St. NE. The home still stands today and you can walk by it, looking almost the same. See it today on Google Street View.

See what the Washington Monument looked like in 1877, as seen from the Tower of the Smithsonian (now the Smithsonian Castle). This stunning view shows the Monument under construction, a testament to the resilience of the nation.

Proposed renovations of the Capitol Building from the 1870s. Achitectural drawing for alterations to the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. West elevation.

LeDroit Park was established as one of the first suburbs of Washington, D.C. It was named for a family member of the founders Amzi Barber.

Here’s a cool bird’s-eye view of the Capitol and the rest of Washington from 1872. Bird’s-eye view of Washington Source: Library of Congress

This is a great old map, about a decade earlier than this one of Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant. Click on it for a larger version to see more details. In this, Howard is Newton St. and Sheridan is Monroe, before the streets were renamed in the early 20th century. The Real Estate Directory of the City of Washington, D.C., Suburbs of Washington City, Serial Number 50 is a series of maps of recorded...

Check out this terrific 1874 map of Georgetown with the old street names. 1874 map of Georgetown Source: Dig DC

Take a look at the evolution of Carlin Springs Subdivision in Alexandria, now Arlington County. See a map from 1890 and compare it to a map from today. Visit the Library of Congress to learn more.

Ulysses Grant was arrested for speeding by William West, an African-American metropolitan policeman. This is a great historical story.

Take a look at the proposed design for the Library of Congress by Leon Beaver in 1873. Check out some of his drawings to see what the Library of Congress could have looked like!

Learn the colorful story of Morris Connors, a notorious Swampoodle thief and rough, as we explore the lost neighborhood of Swampoodle. We uncovered the article in The Washington Post, printed on October 20th, 1879. Come along on this journey of historical context and facts!

Take a look back at Ulysses S. Grant's 1873 Inauguration with this amazing print from 1873. See the event from Pennsylvania Ave. with this incredible image from the Library of Congress.

What a cool series of old photos from 1879. We’ve published so many posts that we can’t remember if these went up before, but nevertheless, sharing them twice isn’t such a bad thing. Washington Monument and Agriculture Building B St. NW Patent Office in the distance panoramic view of DC Capitol Building in distance Source: Library of Congress

What were the roads of Washington like in 1872? This great map shows the different paving surfaces throughout the city, including wood, stone and concrete.

Take a look at this proposed design from 1877 for the completion of the Washington Monument. Congress appropriated another $200,000 to restart construction on the unfinished monument in 1879.

Take a step back in time and explore the history of Georgia Avenue. Check out this 1870s photograph and learn more about the area with a deeper dive into the history of the road. Source: Park View DC.

Explore an old photograph of Ford's Theatre with us in the new "Pictures Tell a Story" series. We've dug up some fascinating facts about the people and buildings in the photo, including a prosthetic legs store and Georgetown College.

Discover the legacy of Matthew Gault Emery, the last mayor of Washington City before the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871. Learn more about his life, the era he lived in, and his accomplishments in office.

Do you want to paint like a professional, but don't have the expertise? Learn how to achieve great results without being an expert with our tips and tricks. Great news - it's easier than you think!

Now this is an interesting advertisement from the Washington Post, printed on June 12th, 1879. advertisement – June 12th, 1879

This is awesome. Thanks to Georgetown University for this one. Analoston Island Source: Georgetown University Library

Back in the 1870s, you could take a steamship from Georgetown all the way to Philadelphia, or even up to Boston. Below is an advertisement for Clyde’s New Express Line (not related to Clyde’s the restaurant chain) printed in the Evening Star on December 17th, 1877. train advertisement – December 17th, 1877 Source: Library of Congress

real estate listings – December 17th, 1877 Source: Library of Congress We came across this advertisement in the December 17th, 1877 Evening Star. Luckily, the home on P Street is still there and you can have 1523 P St. for a cool $1,085,000. [googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?cbp=12,4.68,,0,-6.57&layer=c&panoid=7nHHT6BIP0mS1ugSq35rQg&cbll=38.909639,-77.035663&dg=opt&ie=UTF8&ll=38.87767,-76.994247&spn=0.36456,0.724411&t=m&z=11&source=embed&output=svembed] It...

That claim might come as a shock to you, but the city’s most famous and wealthy resident of the 19th century, William Corcoran was asked his opinion about Georgetown’s prospects had the city of Washington not been placed right next to it. Below is an interesting article that we dug up a special correspondence from the New York Daily Graphic in the Baltimore Sun, published on February...

Explore two drawings of the proposed National Library at Judiciary Square between 1875 and 1879. See what could have been if this plan had been accepted!