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Politics

Washington was built to be the seat of American government, and its political history runs deep. These posts cover presidents, Congress, Cabinet members, scandals, inaugurations, and the machinery of power that has defined the city since 1800.

The Tenement Housing of Washington D.C. Alleys

April 27, 2026April 1, 2015 by ghostsofdc
Washington tenements, Nov. 1935.

Take a look back at what Washington D.C. alleys used to look like when they were filled with tenement housing. Learn more about this piece of history here!

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1930s, Architecture, Politics, U.S. Census 5 Comments

The Little Green House on K Street

December 18, 2022March 31, 2015 by ghostsofdc

At 16th and K St. NW, there once sat a three story Victorian town home, the site of corrupt political dealings within the Harding administration, This is its story.

Categories Guest Posts, Lost History Tags 1920s, 1940s, Architecture, Politics 1 Comment

Frank White of North Dakota and His Former Home in 16th Street Heights

April 27, 2026March 3, 2015 by ghostsofdc

Explore the home formerly owned by U.S. Treasurer and former North Dakota Governor Frank White at 16th Street Heights. See what it looks like today and the history behind it.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1920s, Politics 4 Comments

The Sad Reality of D.C. Lacking National Representation

April 27, 2026December 1, 2014 by ghostsofdc

Discover the sad reality of D.C. lacking national representation through this print found in The Evening Star. Visit the Dig DC Collection by the DC Public Library to learn more.

Categories Historical Events Tags Politics, The Evening Star

The 200th Anniversary of the Burning of Washington: Reflections from the Washington Times on the 100th Anniversary

June 18, 2026July 28, 2014 by ghostsofdc

Reflecting on the 200th anniversary of the Burning of Washington, read The Washington Times’ 1914 article on the topic, including major players’ reactions, rumors leading up to it, and President Madison’s disbelief.

Categories Historical Events Tags Military, Politics 1 Comment

The Murder of Agnes Watson: From Georgetown to the White House

April 27, 2026June 15, 2014 by ghostsofdc
C&O Canal from Wisconsin Avenue Bridge, Georgetown circa 1920 (Library of Congress)

In 1888, a gruesome murder occurred in Georgetown, DC. The murder of Agnes Watson shocked the nation, and the story eventually reached the White House itself. Learn how this Georgetown story made its way to the highest office in the land.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1880s, Georgetown, Grover Cleveland, Politics 1 Comment

Explore DC in 1903: A Map of the Department of State Location

April 27, 2026May 28, 2014 by ghostsofdc
1903 map of Foggy Bottom

Take a look back in time to explore DC in 1903 with this map of the Department of State! See the dog pound at 23rd and C St. and the Herdic-Phaeton building at 19th and E St.

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1900s, Foggy Bottom, Politics

Vitaly Churkin, Soviet Diplomat, Testifies on the Hill

January 4, 2023April 22, 2014 by ghostsofdc

This was the first time an official of the Soviet Union testified before a House committee, by Vitaly Churkin, in an attempt to be transparent after the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Categories Historical Events Tags 1980s, Embassies, Politics

Kennedy’s Lost 1964 Plan to Remake Pennsylvania Avenue

April 27, 2026April 22, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Photorealistic rendering of a proposed 1964 Pennsylvania Avenue redesign in Washington, D.C., showing a stepped public plaza with a central fountain, pedestrians, and two elevated modern office buildings framing a view toward a neoclassical federal building.

In 1964, Nathaniel Owings and a council appointed by JFK unveiled a radical plan to tunnel E Street, brick Pennsylvania Avenue, and build a National Square.

Categories Lost History Tags 1960s, John F. Kennedy, Pennsylvania Avenue, Politics 2 Comments
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