Frank Lloyd Wright’s Crystal Heights: DC’s Lost Glass City
Frank Lloyd Wright drew Washington a glass city of twenty-one towers on a Connecticut Avenue hill. The height limit refused to let it rise.
Unbuilt Washington
Mid-1960s Vision for Washington’s Metro System
The proposals were published to convince transit officials that the 19-mile system authorized by Congress within the city – part of a 25-mile network extending into the suburbs -would be inadequate by 1985.
The 1967 Map of DC Highways That Were Never Built
In 1967 the National Capital Planning Commission mapped out the freeway grid Washington was supposed to get: a K Street expressway, a Three Sisters Bridge, an I-95 extension up through northeast. Almost none of it got built.
Washington Almost Built a $56 Million Streetcar Subway at the End of World War II
At the end of World War II, Washington came within a study of building a $56 million, 7.1-mile streetcar subway, which would have been the longest in the country. Here is the 1944 plan, the map, the artist renderings, and why it never got built.
Three Sisters Bridge Across the Potomac Was Never Built
The Three Sisters Bridge was first proposed by L’Enfant in 1789 and seven more times after that. The 1967 version nearly got built.
A Look Back at the 1971 Maps Showing I-95 Cutting Through D.C.
Take a look back at 1971 maps of what could have been I-95 cutting through D.C. Today, what is now 395, ends at New York Ave. NW. Get a glimpse into what could have been with these fascinating maps from 1971.
Original Subway Planned for Downtown D.C. in 1912
Washington DC almost has a subway started in 1912, well before WMATA and Metro opened in 1976. Learn about what almost was built in the District.
Caroline Harrison’s Unbuilt White House Expansion of 1892
Caroline Harrison set her own deadline. October 13, 1892, the cornerstone centennial. Fred D. Owen drew the plans. She missed dedication day by twelve.
Never Built: CIA Headquarters in Alexandria
Did you know the CIA’s headquarters was almost built in Alexandria, Virginia? This Washington Post article from 1955 explains what happened.