Washington in the 1970s was a city reinventing itself. Home rule arrived in 1973, giving DC its first elected mayor. Metro opened in 1976, remaking how the region moved. Watergate consumed the political establishment for two years. And neighborhoods that had been devastated by the 1968 riots slowly started to find their footing again.
In March 1972, a metropolitan policeman was arrested in Washington D.C. and charged with the armed robbery of a practical nurse at the George Washington University Hospital. Read the incredible story here!
Take a look back at 4400 Connecticut Ave. NW in 1973 with this postcard from the Connecticut Inn Motel. See what the building looks like today and explore what has changed over the years.
L’Enfant Plaza in Washington D.C. has a sad history. It was once a vibrant part of the city, but it was bulldozed in the 1960s as part of an urban renewal program. Learn more about this unfortunate chapter of D.C. history.
A photograph from 1977 shows Union Station in Washington, DC before its restoration, when the surrounding area was far less developed.
In 1970, Congress debated a proposal that would have handed most of Washington DC back to Maryland. Here is what that plan looked like and why it never happened.
Take a look back in time at the construction of the Hart Senate Office Building in 1979, as discovered on the U.S. Capitol’s Flickr page. Learn about this piece of U.S. history and view the photo of the building in progress.
The National Archives has uncovered a rare image of Richard Nixon’s resignation letter, initialed by Henry Kissinger at 11:35 a.m. on August 9th, 1974. Check out the letter here!
Before the first train ran, WMATA produced an infomercial to build public excitement for the new Washington Metro.
Take a rare look at Washington, D.C. back in 1973! See the White House, Lafayette Park, the Washington Monument, and the Potomac in this amazing shot.
