Washington DC Chinatown History

The Original 9:30 Club: F Street’s 1888 Atlantic Building

June 6, 2026June 4, 2026 by ghostsofdc

Black and white photograph of cast-iron columns inside the first floor rear room of the Atlantic Building at 930 F Street NW, the room that became the original 9:30 Club

Inside the 1888 Atlantic Building at 930 F Street: the cast-iron columns Bad Brains leaned against and the eighth floor that founded the National Zoo.

Mary Surratt Boarding House is Now a Chinese Restaurant

April 27, 2026March 2, 2015 by ghostsofdc

The Wok n’ Roll Restaurant now occupies the space of the Surratt House. The original first floor door has been boarded up, and there is no evidence of the second story entrance or stairs.

Mary Surratt’s boarding house at 604 H Street NW, where John Wilkes Booth plotted Lincoln’s assassination, is now the Wok and Roll.

The 1925 Five-Alarm Fire at Mueller’s Candy Plant on Pennsylvania Avenue

June 8, 2026January 22, 2015 by ghostsofdc

December 28, 1925. "G.J. Mueller Fire." A five-alarm fire at George J. Mueller Candy Co. in Chinatown at 336 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., in view of the Capitol. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.

On December 28, 1925, a five-alarm fire tore through George J. Mueller’s wholesale candy plant on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in the heart of Washington’s first Chinatown. Smoke clouded the Capitol, streetcars stalled for fifteen blocks, and a crowd packed the sidewalks to watch it burn.

How Clara Barton’s Missing Soldiers Office in Washington, DC Was Saved from Demolition

May 6, 2026August 15, 2012 by ghostsofdc

We put out a call the other day for some story suggestions and GoDCer from Chicago, Rose, sent along the idea of digging into Clara Barton’s former office and boarding house on 7th St. NW.

This excellent video by C-SPAN tells the incredible story of the building and how it had been “lost” for over a century before a construction worker discovered the true identity of the building. The building had been slated for demolition and redevelopment, but a last minute discovery saved the building.

It’s a great story, so watch the entire clip.

Uncovering the Brutal Criminal Underworld of Washington DC’s Chinatown in the 1920s

May 6, 2026April 11, 2012 by ghostsofdc

Seven men were shot dead by tong hatchet men in Washington’s Chinatown in the 1920s. Not one shooter was ever arrested.

Exploring the Opium Dens and Interracial Marriages of Washington’s Chinatown in the Early 1900s

April 27, 2026April 6, 2012 by ghostsofdc

Inside of lodging house and opium den in San Francisco, 1890s (Wikipedia)

Take a journey back in time to explore the opium dens and interracial marriages of Washington DC’s Chinatown in the early 1900s. Learn more about the people involved in this unique history in this Ghosts of DC article.