Skip to content
Ghosts of DC

Ghosts of DC

  • The Best Of
  • Neighborhoods
    • Southwest DC
      • Waterfront
    • Maryland
      • Gaithersburg
      • Rockville
      • Bethesda
      • Hyattsville
      • Silver Spring
      • Bladensburg
    • Virginia
      • McLean
      • Falls Church
      • Alexandria
      • Vienna
      • Arlington
    • Southeast DC
      • Congress Heights
      • Navy Yard
      • Capitol Hill
      • Anacostia
    • Northeast DC
      • Trinidad
      • Woodridge
      • Deanwood
      • Brookland
    • Northwest DC
      • Tenleytown
      • Park View
      • Friendship Heights
      • Brightwood
      • Crestwood
      • Sheridan-Kalorama
      • The Palisades
      • Logan Circle
      • Petworth
      • Glover Park
      • Bloomingdale
      • Georgetown
      • Woodley Park
      • Dupont Circle
      • Columbia Heights
      • Cleveland Park
      • Adams Morgan
      • Mt. Pleasant
      • Chevy Chase
      • Cathedral Heights
      • Chinatown
    • Lost Neighborhoods
      • Hell’s Bottom
      • Swampoodle
      • Murder Bay
  • Notable People & Places
    • Places
      • Washington Monument
      • Library of Congress
      • The White House
      • The Capitol Building
      • Dulles Airport
    • People
      • Franklin D. Roosevelt
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Officer Sprinkle
      • Dwight D. Eisenhower
      • Warren G. Harding
      • William McKinley
      • Abraham Lincoln
      • John F. Kennedy
      • Teddy Roosevelt
      • Woodrow Wilson

1950s

Postwar Washington was prosperous and anxious in equal measure. The suburbs of Virginia and Maryland exploded with development as families left the city, while downtown hummed with Cold War government activity. The civil rights movement was gaining momentum, and the city’s neighborhoods were beginning a long transformation.

A Blast from the Past: A Look at Scott Circle in 1950

April 27, 2026December 3, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Scott Circle, NW, looking northeast from Rhode Island Avenue with statue of Gen. Winfield Scott; note glass street sign under globe. (July 8, 1950

Take a trip back in time with this amazing photo of Scott Circle in 1950, courtesy of DDOTDC Flickr. Visit Ghosts of DC to learn more

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1950s, Landmarks 1 Comment

The Evolution of O Street Market: Comparing 1959 to Today

September 1, 2019December 2, 2013 by ghostsofdc
O Street Market on northwest corner of 7th and O Streets NW. (Emil A. Press Slide Collection, 1959)

See the incredible transformation of the O Street Market from 1959 to today. Check out how this landmark has changed, and the similarities that remain. Visit the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. to learn more!

Categories Then and Now Tags 1950s, Bars & Restaurants 1 Comment

Exterior Photos of Truman Reconstruction of White House

November 21, 2013 by ghostsofdc
View of the South Portico of the White House - February 16th, 1952

Truman Reconstruction of the White House between 1949 and 1952. See exterior photos of the renovation project

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1940s, 1950s, The White House 1 Comment

Interior Photos of Truman Reconstruction of White House

April 27, 2026November 20, 2013 by ghostsofdc
interior shell of the White House - May 15th, 1950

Truman Reconstruction of the White House between 1949 and 1952. See interior photos of the renovation project

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1940s, 1950s, Harry Truman, The White House 2 Comments

The Sad Reality of 1950s Development in D.C.

January 30, 2022October 25, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Demolition of buildings on the corner of 11th Street and Virginia Avenue SW. View northwest over the Agriculture Department Building to the Washington Monument (1959). Garnet W. Jex "Southwest Redevelopment" Slide Collection, HSW.

The progress of 1950s development in D.C. destroyed much of the city. Explore the sad reality of this destructive period in D.C. history with this post from Ghosts of DC.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1950s, Southwest

Uncovering a 1950s Dairy Farm Advertisement in The Washington Post

November 24, 2023October 17, 2013 by ghostsofdc
dairy farm advertisement in 1950

Take a journey with us to uncover a 1950s dairy farm advertisement in The Washington Post. See photos of the farm and recent updates, and find out where it stands today!

Categories Old Ads & Classifieds Tags 1950s, Fairfax County 2 Comments

Never Built: CIA Headquarters in Alexandria

April 27, 2026October 3, 2013 by ghostsofdc

Did you know the CIA’s headquarters was almost built in Alexandria, Virginia? This Washington Post article from 1955 explains what happened.

Categories Lost History Tags 1950s, Alexandria, Politics 1 Comment

Exploring the Cost of Living in DC from the 1950s to Now

October 2, 2013 by ghostsofdc
1950s Washington

GoDCer Jamie sent in a request to look into the cost-of-living in DC over time and how it has changed since the 1950s. Read our article to find out how much a pound of pork cost in 1952 and compare it to today’s prices!

Categories Historical Events Tags 1950s, Washington Post 1 Comment

What Is the History of CIA’s Langley Headquarters?

April 27, 2026October 2, 2013 by ghostsofdc

For years, the CIA’s exit signs read “Bureau of Public Roads.” The agency didn’t confirm its Langley address publicly until 1973.

Categories The Best Of, Three Things... Tags 1950s, 1970s, Politics 5 Comments
Older posts
Newer posts
← Previous Page1 … Page5 Page6 Page7 … Page13 Next →
Explore the Archive
The Best Of Old Ads & Classifieds Then and Now Lost History
GoDCers Love Maps From the Crazy Vault Faces & Places of Yesterday If Walls Could Talk
Historical Events Notable People & Places This Day in History Guest Posts
Three Things… A Personal Story Why Is It Named…? Featured
Ghosts of DC© 2012–2026 Ghosts of DC