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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.

In The Paper: The National Republican – February 21st, 1885, the Day the Washington Monument Was Dedicated

January 15, 2022November 21, 2012 by ghostsofdc

Read the front page of The National Republican from February 21st, 1885, the day the Washington Monument was dedicated. In our “In The Paper” series, explore the history of the nation’s capital as presented in local newspapers.

Categories Historical Events, Notable People & Places Tags 1880s, Washington Monument

The Near-Lynching of Tom Smothers in Washington, D.C. and Frederick Douglass’ Role in Saving Him

January 24, 2023November 9, 2012 by ghostsofdc
Jail transfer from the Police Court signed by Marshal Douglass, Nov. 28, 1880. Photo Workhouse Prison Museum at Lorton.

In February 1880, a mob of nearly 1,000 marched on the DC jail to lynch Tom Smothers. Marshal Frederick Douglass kept him alive.

Categories Guest Posts, Notable People & Places Tags 1880s, Frederick Douglass 1 Comment

Dr. Albert Freeman Africanus King: Lincoln’s Doctor and the Mosquito Net

May 6, 2026October 19, 2012 by ghostsofdc

Dr. Albert Freeman Africanus King attended Abraham Lincoln as he died at Ford’s Theatre in 1865. He later proposed enclosing all of Washington in a giant mosquito net to stop malaria.

Categories Guest Posts, Notable People & Places Tags 1880s, George Washington University, Washington Monument

Shaw, Mt. Vernon Square, and Dupont Circle: A 19th-Century Property Value Comparison

April 28, 2026August 24, 2012 by ghostsofdc
City of Washington, statistical maps / compiled by Lieut. F.V. Greene, assistant to the Engineer Commissioner, July 1st 1880 ; compiled by Lieut. F.V. Greene, U.S. Eng'rs ... to accompany the annual report of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for the year ending June 30th 1880 ; Wm. T.O. Bruff, del., Eng'r Dept., D.C.

An 1880 statistical map compiled by Lt. F.V. Greene shows property values across Washington, with land in Shaw and Mt. Vernon Square worth three to four times more than comparable plots in Dupont Circle.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday, Featured, GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1880s, Dupont Circle, Shaw 4 Comments

Well-Dressed Couple Riding an 1886-Model Bicycle South of the White House

May 6, 2026July 23, 2012 by ghostsofdc
Smartly dressed couple seated on an 1886-model bicycle for two. The South Portico of the White House, Washington, D.C., in the background. 77-RP-7347-4. (National Archives)

Take a look at this amazing photo found in the National Archives. This smartly-dressed couple is riding an 1886-Model bicycle just south of the White House in Washington, D.C.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1880s, The White House

Exploring the Stickney House: A Look Back at a Lost D.C. Gem

May 7, 2026July 2, 2012 by ghostsofdc
William Stickney residence in the 1870s. William leading against building (source: adolf-cluss.org)

The Stickney House stood at 6th and M NW for a hundred years before the city knocked it down in the 1970s. A parking lot replaced it.

Categories Lost History Tags 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1900s, 1970s, Architecture, Gallaudet University, George Washington University, Politics 3 Comments

Grave Robbing in Walter Pierce Park: The Story of Vijo Jansen

May 6, 2026June 13, 2012 by ghostsofdc
guy digging grave

Learn the story of Vijo Jansen, the notorious “resurrectionist” who was caught grave robbing in Walter Pierce Park in the 19th century. Read about his arrest and the ghastly scene that was discovered in the wagon.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1880s, Adams Morgan

The Gruesome Tale of Charles Shaw & Grave Robbing in 19th Century DC

April 27, 2026June 13, 2012 by ghostsofdc
Medical students dissect a cadaver during the Civil War (National Museum of Civil War Medicine)

Discover the gruesome tale of Charles Shaw, convicted of murdering his sister & sentenced to death in 1883 DC. Unearth the dark world of 19th century body-harvesting & grave-robbing for medical research in this macabre story.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1880s, Crime, Georgetown, Georgetown University

James Madison Wyatt Stone and the Botched 1880 DC Execution

May 19, 2026June 12, 2012 by ghostsofdc
Portrait of Richard T. Greener, attorney and Dean of the Howard Law School

James Madison Wyatt Stone went to the DC gallows on April 2, 1880, after two respites from President Hayes. His lawyer was Richard T. Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard. The hanging made headlines for what the rope did to him.

Categories Historical Events, Notable People & Places Tags 1880s, Crime, Howard University, Rutherford B. Hayes 2 Comments
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