The Willard Brother Who Built the Ebbitt House
Three Willard brothers ran the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. The fourth, Caleb, ran a hotel just as big a block away. He just had the misfortune of calling it the Ebbitt House.
1870s
The 1870s were Washington’s great reconstruction decade, driven almost entirely by the ambitions of Alexander “Boss” Shepherd, the city’s territorial governor. Shepherd paved the streets, installed gas lights, and planted trees across the city, essentially inventing the modern Washington streetscape. These posts explore the decade that rebuilt the capital.
Nellie Grant’s 1874 White House Wedding and the Father Who Wept Upstairs
When the cake was being cut, the President was upstairs sobbing. The story of Nellie Grant’s 1874 White House wedding, the East Room Grant rebuilt for her, and the marriage that fell apart.
Boss Shepherd: The Man Who Paved Washington and Cost It Home Rule
Alexander Robey “Boss” Shepherd paved Washington, lit its gas lamps, and planted 64,000 trees, then bankrupted the territorial government in 1874 and cost the city home rule for 99 years.
The Architects the Library of Congress Forgot
John Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz won the design competition in 1873. They spent 13 years redesigning it. Then Congress fired them. Here’s what happened next.
23 Detailed Maps of Washington, D.C. in 1874
These are old maps of Washington in 1874. They’re amazingly detailed and are a “manual for business men.”
Washington’s Railroads in the 1870s: Photos from Just After the Civil War
These photographs from the 1870s show Washington’s railroad infrastructure in the years just after the Civil War. Click through for the full detail.
Tracing the Construction of the Arts and Industries Building on the Mall in Washington, DC
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!
A Detailed Look at the Georgetown Map from the Library of Congress
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 Glimpse Into History: Frederick Douglass’s Home on Capitol Hill
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.