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 back at the history of The Dresden at 2126 Connecticut Ave. NW, from its 1975 condominium advertisement to the obituary of Princess Cantacuzene to a 1948 rent hike. Learn more about this grande dame of Washington!
Discover the history of a neighborhood landmark: the Brookland Bowling Alley. Learn how it was saved and see a picture of the alley today!
In 1981, Maya Lin won the contest to design the Vietnam Memorial at the age of just 21. Learn how her abstract design concept was sketched by Paul Stevenson Oles and became a powerful memorial in Washington, DC.
Take a glimpse into Washington DC in 1916 with these stunning images from the Ford Motor Company’s archives! See the Ford building under construction and the location of the current Canadian Embassy.
In 1890, a large number of Washingtonians wanted to keep the dangerous Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station at 6th and B Streets NW, where Garfield was shot. Read on to learn more of the story!
Take a look at the unfortunate demolition of the ugly, brutalist, Soviet-looking Dunbar High School built in the 1970s. Here’s an article we dug up from the Washington Post, printed on April 13th, 1977.
Get a glimpse into history with this amazing old photograph of the Cuban Embassy on 16th Street. See the image and read more about it from the Library of Congress!
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.
160 years ago today, Montgomery C. Meigs placed an advertisement in the Daily Evening Star for skilled bricklayers to help in the expansion of the U.S. Capitol. Check out a great photo from 1858 of the Capitol under construction!
