The 1910s brought World War I and a massive wave of federal construction that reshaped downtown Washington. The war brought hundreds of thousands of workers flooding into the city, straining housing, transit, and every civic institution to its limits. Woodrow Wilson’s Washington was also the decade when the federal government was formally segregated.
Before World War I, Dietz’s Rathskeller was a popular beer joint in the heart of D.C. Learn about its history, explore the area today, and be amazed at what this spot has to offer!
An aerial photograph of Alexandria, Virginia taken in 1919. Click through for the full-resolution version to explore the detail.
Take a trip down memory lane and explore real estate in Chevy Chase, D.C. in 1913. Back then, you could get a great home for $6,500, the equivalent of about $156,000 today. Now, these homes are easily worth a million dollars.
Take a look back in time to 1911 and explore the Old Spanish Embassy at 1521 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Check it out today on Google Street View.
Take a look at this photograph of Washington, D.C. from the 1920s and see if you can recognize it. Click for more details and leave your thoughts in the comments!
The first State of the Union was in 1800 by our second president, John Adams. Thomas Jefferson began the tradition of passing along the state of the union in writing to Congress, allegedly because he felt he was an inadequate public speaker. In 1913, the task of speaking directly to a joint session of Congress … Read more
Take a look back in time with this old advertisement for 1201 Clifton St. NW in Columbia Heights from 1910. See the original ad and the street view today.
Explore the highways of Washington, D.C. in 1911 with this historic map from the Library of Congress. See roads, routes, and more from over 100 years ago.
Get a rare glimpse of downtown DC in 1911 with this photo taken from the air. See the amazing details of the Old Post Office and other points of interest in this panoramic view.
