Why Is It Named Trinidad?
Northeast DC has a neighborhood named after a Caribbean island. The connection runs through the early history of George Washington University.
1880s
Victorian Washington was booming in the 1880s. The decade brought the dedication of the Washington Monument (finally finished in 1884), the consolidation of Georgetown into DC, and a wave of grand Romanesque architecture that still defines many of the city’s neighborhoods. These posts explore Washington at its Victorian peak.
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.
The Old Executive Office Building: History and an Early Stereographic Photo
A stereographic photograph of the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, with historical context from architectural historian John DeFerrari.
1885 Dedication of Washington Monument
Terrific old photo of the Washington Monument being dedicated in 1885. Check out the amazing details.
Washington Monument Under Construction in 1883
Washington Monument under construction with U.S. Fish Commission hatching ponds in the foreground and Bureau of Engraving and Printing building in the background.
1892 Map of Smallpox, Cholera, and Measles Deaths
What is a zymotic disease? This is a map of deaths due to this disease in 1892. Find out what that means.
1888 Map of Lung Disease Death
What a sad map of the District. This shows the deaths in Washington from lung disease in 1888.
1890s Map of Diarrhea Deaths in Washington
An 1890s map plots DC deaths from diarrhea by neighborhood, concentrated in Swampoodle and Murder Bay where sanitation was worst. One of the more unusual maps we have found.
“Quite Pretty” Wife Catches “Fairly Good-Looking” Husband With Woman
A scene was enacted just outside the National Theatre last night at the close of the performance which may end in a divorce suit.