The 1960s were a decade of transformation and trauma for Washington. The March on Washington in 1963 brought a quarter million people to the Mall. JFK’s assassination brought the city to a standstill. And the 1968 riots that followed Dr. King’s murder left scars across entire neighborhoods that would take decades to heal.
The proposals were published to convince transit officials that the 19-mile system authorized by Congress within the city – part of a 25-mile network extending into the suburbs -would be inadequate by 1985.
These haunting 1967 photos show the inside and outside of the old Capitol Traction Company Powerhouse, previously located on the Georgetown waterfront.
A 1961 Washington Post map plots every real estate subdivision ringing the city, capturing the postwar suburban explosion in Maryland and Virginia.
This fascinating old map from 1963 shows all the public housing developments in Washington, DC.
A Library of Congress map shows the proposed highway network that would have cut through Washington in the 1960s. DC was among the few American cities that stopped the bulldozers.
A candid photo from March 31st, 1963 shows the Kennedy family happily spending time together at Camp David, with Caroline atop a horse and John holding his mother’s hand
The gold-and-white top-floor ballroom where Buddy Holly danced for Washington teens on live TV. Then a wrecking crew in 1964.
This post explores the proposed Southside Freeway in Arlington which never came to be. Learn about the 1960 proposal, the public opinion, and why the highway never came to fruition in this post.
Take a look at this rare photo of the Capitol Building from the 1960s. See the Capitol Dome under construction and a lot of cars parked out in front of it – something you’ll never see again!
