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 step back in time and visit the historic Sewall-Belmont House in Washington, D.C. Learn more about its rich history and how it’s still standing today. Come explore the grounds and make sure to take a look at the late 1920s photo of the House.
Check out this unbelievable offer from The Evening Star newspaper in 1906: a home for sale in Washington, DC for just $13,000! That same home is now worth over $1.4 million. Read the incredible story here.
Unbelievable! Check out this incredible image of the Department of Commerce under construction from the top of the National Press Building looking down 14th Street. Willard Hotel at right. From Shorpy.com.
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.
Take a look at the incredible Winder Building after the Civil War. This remarkable building is still standing and in use by the U.S. Trade Representative today. See a photo from the 1870s here!
Providence Hospital opened on Capitol Hill in 1861. It took First Manassas wounded a month later. The site is now Providence Park.
Discover the story of Stewart’s Castle, a lost gem of Washington DC’s architectural history. Learn about its design, famous residents, and ultimate demolition in 1901 in this post.
Take a look at the sad story of the Southern Railway Building in Washington DC, which was purchased by the United States Government in 1928 for $2,680,000 to make way for the construction of Federal Triangle.
There was a time when Washington, even the city itself, was very rural. Imagine livestock roaming the streets, unpaved roads, and small farms in the District.
