Washington’s built environment is the product of grand ambitions, fierce debates, and brilliant (and sometimes terrible) ideas across more than two centuries. These posts dig into the buildings, architects, and design decisions that shaped the city we know today.
Take a look at the Federal Aviation Administration’s headquarters on DC’s Independence Ave. SW and compare it to what the block looked like in 1941 on the eve of World War II. See how the landscape has changed in this comparison.
Take a look at this side-by-side comparison of a 1920s photo of Washington D.C. from L St. NW and what the same area looks like today on Google Street View. See how the city has changed!
A look at the Charles Joseph Nourse House, an 1827 farm house located in Tennallytown. Learn about the history of the house and view photos of the beautiful old home.
This extremely rare image of the State, War, and Navy Building is from the 1890s.
Thanks for the great opportunity to speak at the World Bank today. Check out the 1903 map of the area around today’s World Bank that I gave the room a sneak peek of and am posting for all others now!
The gold-and-white top-floor ballroom where Buddy Holly danced for Washington teens on live TV. Then a wrecking crew in 1964.
Learn about the history of D.C. public elementary schools Janney, Gibbs, Eaton and Watkins. We explore the background behind their names and the people they were named for.
In 1877 a 23-year-old draftsman named Richard Siebert filed a sweeping redesign of the U.S. Capitol with the Copyright Office. Then he vanished.
Take a journey back in time with us and learn about the beautiful row houses that used to occupy K Street NW! Get a glimpse into the past with this old image of the historic row houses at the intersection of 17th and K St. NW.
