Engine Company No. 4: DC’s First All-Black Firehouse
Gordon Parks photographed Engine Company No. 4 in 1943: men trusted to run into a fire, and made to eat off separate plates.
Library of Congress
The Architects the Library of Congress Forgot
John Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz won the design competition in 1873. They spent 13 years redesigning it. Then Congress fired them. Here’s what happened next.
1887 Map of Washington, DC and Its Environs
An 1887 map of Washington, DC showing the city and surrounding areas within a 20-mile radius of the Capitol. Click through for the full-resolution version.
What the Library of Congress Could Have Looked Like: Leon Beaver’s Design from 1873
Take a look at the proposed design for the Library of Congress by Leon Beaver in 1873. Check out some of his drawings to see what the Library of Congress could have looked like!
Saving History – The Story of Davidson Modern Movers and the Library of Congress in December 1941
In December 1941, as a precautionary measure, the Library of Congress transported 5,000 boxes of materials to 3 locations of “relative security.” We can thank Davidson Modern Movers for saving one set of these documents. Read the story of this amazing event here!
The Evening Star: A Look at the Day After President Lincoln’s Assassination
On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. On the same day, The Evening Star newspaper was published, featuring a “Special Notice” that is as interesting as anything that could be published today. Take a look at the newspaper, the day after the assassination.
Proposed National Library at Judiciary Square: Two Drawings from 1875-1879
Explore two drawings of the proposed National Library at Judiciary Square between 1875 and 1879. See what could have been if this plan had been accepted!
The Library of Congress Inside the Capitol Building in 1866
Before the Library of Congress moved to its own building in 1897, it occupied a room inside the Capitol. This 1866 photograph shows the interior of that original space, with its cast-iron shelving and gallery.
The View Southeast from the U.S. Capitol, Around 1880
This photograph taken from the top of the U.S. Capitol around 1880 looks southeast toward the Anacostia River. A block of five homes at 1st and A Street SE is visible in the foreground, on land now occupied by the Capitol complex.