What was Washington, D.C. like in the 1980s? Take a look at our great posts with stories, people, photos, and history about the District from the eighties.
The Washington Monument as Seen From The Treasury Department
Here’s an incredible view of the Washington Monument some time in the early 1980s. Source: Library of Congress
Remember the Munsey Building at 13th and Pennsylvania?
It’s a sad fact that much of D.C. was demolished from the 1950s through the 1980s. It’s a damn shame, but everything was in the name of progress. Source: Flickr user Smithsonian Source: Streets of Washington Our role model, John DeFerrari...
Soviet Diplomat Testifies on the Hill
So here is a headline you certainly won’t see every day, and you certainly wouldn’t see something like this in the 1980s. In the Cold War edition of Ghosts of DC, here’s a cool article that we came across in The...
Mayor Barry Proposes Renaming Part of Mass. Ave. After Mandela
This is an interesting story from the 1980s. Mayor for life, and general embarrassment to the city of Washington, Marion Barry, proposed in 1985 to rename a portion of Massachusetts Ave. in front of the South African embassy after the...
If Walls Could Talk: Nanny O’Briens
Congratulations to our latest “If Walls Could Talk” poll winner, Nanny O’Briens. We’re going to do a little digging into the history of your building at 3319 Connecticut Ave. NW. The Greek restaurant investor On September 11th, 1952, The Washington Post...
History of the Drinking Age in Washington, D.C.
When did DC raise the drinking age to 21? The story goes back to 1984 with Ronald Reagan, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, and highways.
Secret Service Agent Robs Maryland Bank
Now this is not something you’ll read everyday … or ever really. Except in 1981. We came across this article in The Baltimore Sun from September 23rd of that year. A 29-year-old White House guard has been charge with the gunpoint...
Map of Metro Done in Braille
This is a map of Metro done with braille. I’m not sure what the date it on this, but since the Red Line stops at Silver Spring (why is it named Silver Spring?), it’s some time before 1990, when Forest...
Awesome Aerial View of Federal Triangle in the 1980s
What a great shot of Federal Triangle, looking down Pennsylvania Ave. You can also see the Navy Memorial under construction. Source: Library of Congress
Cost of Buying a House in the District, 25 Years Ago Today
Look at this old classified advertisement from The Washington Post from exactly 25 years ago. This was printed on Friday, October 21st, 1988 and if you were the one who purchased one of these homes, you probably are sitting pretty right now....
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