| District of Columbia, Washington — Fort De Russy — Civil War Defenses of Washington — 1861-1865 |
| | Earthworks of Fort De Russy are visible; follow path to your right for 200 years.
[drawing of fort] Fort De Russy from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drawing.
Cannon mounted at Fort De Russy helped repulse a Confederate attack on Fort Stevens, July 11012, 1864.
[map of northern DC] Other Civil War fort locations administered by Rock Creek Park.
[picture of unnamed fort] During the Civil War, Washington's forts overlooked farm land. — Map (db m20822) |
| District of Columbia, Washington — Fort DeRussy |
| | One of the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Constructed on the site in 1861 Fort DeRussy commanded the deep valley of Rock Creek. Its armament consisted of 11 guns and mortars including a 100-pounder Parrott Rifle. — Map (db m20823) |
| District of Columbia, Washington — Fort DeRussy |
| | Built in 1861 to protect the Rock Creek Valley during the Civil War, Fort DeRussy's cannon fired a total of 109 projectiles into the northern countryside as 12,000-15,000 Confederate soldiers attacked the city under the command of Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early on July 11-12, 1864. During this two day battle (known as the Battle of Fort Stevens) Fort DeRussy aided the surrounding forts by providing the main suppressive fire to ensure a Union victory on the battlefield.
The . . . — Map (db m20824) |
| District of Columbia (Northwest), Washington — President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home — A National Trust Historic Site |
| | President Lincoln and his family lived in this country home for over a quarter of his presidency. Escorted by his cavalry guard, Lincoln rode to the White House every morning either on horseback or by carriage, and returned here each evening to rejoin his family and friends, meet with visitors and colleagues and reflect on military strategy and emancipation. This sculpture captures a moment in his daily life during those years.
Dedicated February 12, 2009 in recognition of the . . . — Map (db m22652) |
| District of Columbia (Shaw District), Washington — Immaculate Conception Catholic School — Center City Public Charter Schools - Shaw Campus |
| | Immaculate Conception Catholic School has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior September 23, 2003 First school built in 1864 Present school built in 1908 B. Stanley Simmons, architect.
Boys school, 1865-1964 Co-educational parish school since 1964
Renovated in 2004 by the Clark Construction Group — Map (db m21789) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 5 of 18 — Ambassadors of Faith — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| |
Three dramatic religious structures dominate this corner. They are among some 40 religious institutions lining 16th Street between the White House and the Maryland state line.
Many serve as unofficial “embassies” representing the interests of their faiths before the U.S. Government. The neo-Baroque National Baptist Church, to your right, is a memorial to Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island and champion of religious liberty. Its congregation has long worked for social . . . — Map (db m17076) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 7 of 18 — Lanier Place — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| | Banker Archibald McLachlan and Smithsonian Institution naturalist George Brown Goode developed Lanier Heights in the early 1890s. Goode laid out streets and encouraged Smithsonian colleagues to purchase lots. McLachlan built the elegant Ontario Apartments, visible ahead and to the left on then-rural Ontario Road. More apartments and row houses followed. By 1935 Lanier Heights was considered a close-in, city neighborhood.
In 1908 the city built the Mission style firehouse mid-block to your . . . — Map (db m17295) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 4 of 18 — Life on the Park — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| | During the Civil War (1861-1865), the Union Army Carver Hospital and barracks occupied Meridian Hill. The facilities attracted African American freedom seekers looking for protection and employment. By war’s end, a Black community had put down rooks. Soon Weyland Seminary opened to train African American clergy and teachers. In the late 1880s, Mary Foote Henderson purchased most of this land and evicted its residents. Many settled in today’s Reed-Cooke neighborhood to your left.
The . . . — Map (db m17032) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 2 of 18 — Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| | Long before Europeans arrived, Meridian Hill was a sacred place for Native Americans. As recently as 1992, a delegation of Native Americans walked across the continent to this park to mourn the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival. They were received by environmentalist Josephine Butler, a champion of park preservation.
Europeans named the hill for Commodore David Porter’s grand Meridian Hill house (1825) which straddled the route of the prime meridian (16th Street). Americans used this . . . — Map (db m16910) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 1 of 18 — Mrs. Henderson's Legacy — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| | As you look up the hill, you can see Peter C. L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for Washington ended up here in front of you at Boundary Avenue, now Florida Avenue. Back then, when people walked or rode in horse-drawn vehicles, it was hard to climb this steep ridge ridge. Once electric streetcars appeared in the 1880s, climbing hills was easier, so city dwellers began moving up this hill.
Beginning in 1887, Mary Foote Henderson, wife of Missouri Senator John B. Henderson, created a new community here . . . — Map (db m16893) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 6 of 18 — The Latino Community — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| |
This is the heart of Washington’s Latino community. Once centered here and in nearby Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, the community now extends throughout the region.
As early as the 1910s, the Mexican, Ecuadoran, Cuban, and Spanish embassies clustered nearby on 16th Street. Spanish-speaking diplomats and staff called this area home and often remained after their terms ended. In the 1950s, political turmoil and economic hardship brought Puerto Ricans and Cubans, followed later by . . . — Map (db m17167) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Adams-Morgan — 3 of 18 — The Roots of Reed-Cooke — Roads to Diversity — Adams Morgan Heritage Trail |
| | In 1947, the building on your left opened as the National Arena, a public roller rink and bowling alley. It also hosted professional wrestling, roller derbies, and rock concerts. In 1986 it became the Citadel Motion Picture Center, where portions of Peggy Sue Got Married, Gardens of Stone, and other movies were filmed. In 1994 MTV recorded its town hall meeting with President Bill Clinton in the studio here in Reed-Cooke.
Reed-Cooke’s earliest African American settlers moved . . . — Map (db m17031) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), American University Park — Fort Bayard |
| | Civil War Defenses of Washington 1861-1865. No visible evidence remains of Fort Bayard, which stood at the top of this hill. Named for Brig. Gen. George Bayard, mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. — Map (db m124) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — "The Gun" — Hontoria 140 mm. |
| | This Hontoria 140 mm. (5.9 in.) naval gun was taken from the Spanish cruiser Almirante Oquendo following her capture at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba on 3 July 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Almirante Oquendo, of the Infanta Maria Teress class, was one of six Spanish ships which sortied from the Cuban port in order to avoid capture in the harbor. None escaped the blockading U.S. Naval Squadron. The hole in the gun's shield was inflicted by one of approximately 50 rounds . . . — Map (db m13341) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — Battery Ricketts — Civil War Defenses of Washington — 1861-1865 |
| | Earthworks of Battery Ricketts are visible inside the wooded area in front of you. Battery Ricketts, built to defend an area in front of Fort Stanton, was named for Maj. Gen. James B. Ricketts. — Map (db m10622) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — Fort Carroll — Civil War Defenses of Washington — 1861-1865 |
| | Earthworks of Fort Carroll are visible 100 yards to the right at the top of the hill. Fort Carroll was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Samuel Sprigg Carroll, a West Point graduate from the District of Columbia. — Map (db m10614) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — Fort Greble — Civil War Defenses of Washington — 1861-1865 |
| | Earthworks of Fort Greble are visible beyond this exhibit. Fort Greble was named in honor of Lt. John T. Greble, slain at the Battle of Big Bethel, June 10, 1861, the first U.S. Military Academy graduate killed in the Civil War. — Map (db m10610) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — Frederick Douglass National Historic Site |
| | Also known as Cedar Hill, this site encompasses the estate owned by Frederick Douglass from 1877 until his death in 1895. In honor of Douglass’ work as an author, orator, abolitionist, statesman, and civil rights leader, this site is designated a Literary Landmark by Friends of Libraries U.S.A. — Map (db m5471) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — T-28 Trojan |
| | Dedicated to Pilots, Crew, and Maintenance Personnel who served at
Anacostia Naval Air Station — Map (db m7845) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — The Big Chair |
| | Re-dedication April 25, 2006.
This community landmark represents the Curtis Companies long standing allegience to the neighborhood and steadfast committment to unity, prosperity and good will to all Washingtonians and friends of Anacostia.
Designers:
John Kidwell & A Lomax Project
Fabricators:
Cinnbar & Nelson’s Welding — Map (db m5446) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — The Growlery |
| | Here stood Frederick Douglass’ rustic retreat from domestic society, where he could think, read and write undisturbed. Evoking the image of a lion’s lair, he called his hideaway the Growlery. It was simply furnished with a lounge, a high desk and a stool. The present building is a reconstruction. — Map (db m5362) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — The World’s Largest Chair |
| | Presented to Curtis Bros. for their outstanding leadership and service to the public by the Basset Furniture Industries.
The chair made of solid Honduras mahogany is 19½ feet tall and weighs 4600 pounds.
Designer: Leo M. Jiranek
Builder: J.E. Bassett, Jr. — Map (db m5459) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Benning Heights — Fort Chaplin — Civil War Defenses of Washington — 1861-1865 |
| | Earthworks of Fort Chaplin are visible through the wooded areas at the top of the hill. Fort Chaplin was named in honor of Col. Daniel Chaplin, who was mortally wounded on August 17, 1864, at Deep Bottom, Virginia. — Map (db m10628) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — Bolling Air Force Base |
| | [Panel 1]:
Old Bolling Field
1917 - Survey for the site of a military flying field to be used for defense of Washington and for proficiency flying. Captain William "Billy" Mitchell, commander of Army Signal Corps Aeronautics Division urges purchase of a tract of land near the Potomac.
1918 - Bolling Field is established just north of the present Bolling Air Force Base site - named for Colonel Raynal C. Bolling, Assistant Chief of Air Service. Colonel Bolling was the first . . . — Map (db m8575) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — Giesboro Park |
| | The Gisborough Estate (1680-1890) was a large colonial land grant that included part of what is now Bolling Air Force Base. That name eventually came to be spelled "Giesboro" and from 1863 to 1866 this area was the location of a large cavalry depot for the Union Army, and an adjoining cavalry base, Camp Stoneman. The Giesboro plantation residence was located in the area that now comprises Giesboro Park. — Map (db m10054) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — In Memory of Col. Raynal C. Bolling |
| | [Panel No. 1]:
"Whatever happens to me will be the result of action, not inaction or drift."
Bolling
[Panel No. 2]:
On April 7, 1917, the day after President Wilson's war message to Congress, Major Raynal Cawthorne Bolling of the Air Service Reserve requested continuous active duty and reported to Mineola Field, Long Island to await orders.
As a citizen-soldier in the New York National Guard, he had helped . . . — Map (db m5733) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — Republic F-105D Thunderchief |
| | This aircraft, of a type used extensively in Southeast Asia air operations, is dedicated to all the courageous airmen who gave their lives in honor during that conflict. — Map (db m16292) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Brightwood — 16 — "Get Down You Fool" — Battleground to Community — Brightwood Heritage Trail |
| | Hearing those words, President Abraham Lincoln ducked down from the Fort Stevens parapet during the Civil War battle that stopped the Confederates from taking Washington. On July 9, 1864, some 15,000 Rebels led by General Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces at the Battle of Monocacy near Frederick, Maryland. Early's troops, suffering from the battle and the summer heat, then turned south to march on the lightly defended capital city. But the Monocacy encounter and skirmishes along the . . . — Map (db m17133) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Brightwood — 17 — Aunt Betty's Story — Battleground to Community — Brightwood Heritage Trail |
| | Elizabeth Proctor Thomas (1821-1917), a free Black woman whose image appears on each Brightwood Heritage Trail sign, once owned 11 acres in this area. Known, respectfully in her old age as "Aunt Betty," Thomas and her husband James farmed and kept cows here. When the Civil War came in 1861, her hilltop attracted Union soldiers defending Washington. As Thomas later told a reporter, one day soldiers "began taking out my furniture and tearing down our house" to build Fort Stevens. Then a . . . — Map (db m17132) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Brightwood — 15 — The Rock on Brightwood Avenue — Battleground to Community — Brightwood Heritage Trail |
| | Across Quackenbros Street is Emory United Methodist Church. Named to honor Bishop John Emory of Maryland (1789-1835), the congregation dates from 1832.
From the beginning, Emory welcomed all races but, like most Washington churches then, seated African Americans in a separate gallery. In 1846 the national Methodist church split over the slavery issue. Seven years later Emory sided with the South. In 1939 the Methodist Church reunited. Despite its southern sympathies, the church had helped . . . — Map (db m17223) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Brookland — Charles Richard Drew Memorial Bridge |
| | Named in honor of Dr. Charles Richard Drew, 1904-1950 esteemed citizen of the District of Columbia athlete, scholar, surgeon, and scientist whose discoveries in blood preservation saved thousands of lives. — Map (db m6262) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capital Hill — Latrobe Gate - Tingey House |
| | Latrobe Gate Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1804, the gate and flanking guardhouses were constructed in the Greek Revival style. This style became very popular in the young nation, and the original section of the gate represents one of the earliest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. In 1823 a second story was added to the existing guardhouses. The Latrobe Gate is the oldest continually manned Marine sentry post in the nation. Tingey House This . . . — Map (db m10134) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Eastern Market — A Lively Market for a Lively Neighborhood |
| | Established by order of President Thomas Jefferson 1805, this building constructed 1873, designed by Adolf Cluss, additions 1907-8 by Snowden Ashford.
Eastern Market, one of three public markets proposed in L’Enfant’s Plan, was established in 1805, by Presidential Proclamation, and originally located near the Navy Yard at 6th Street between K and L Streets, S.E. It was relocated to this site in 1873, as a new building, designed by Adolf Cluss, which is now known as South Hall. The Center . . . — Map (db m20358) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Freedmen’s Memorial Monument to Abraham Lincoln — or Freedom’s Memorial |
| | In grateful memory of Abraham Lincoln. This monument was erected by the Western Sanitary Commission of Saint Louis, Mo., with funds contributed solely by emancipated Citizens of the United States declared free by his Proclamation, January 1st A.D. 1863. The first contribution of five dollars was made by Charlotte Scott, a freed woman of Virginia, being her first earnings in freedom and consecrated by her suggestion and request, on the day she heard of President Lincoln’s death, to build a . . . — Map (db m2097) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — James A. Garfield |
| | (Front):James A. Garfield 1831 - 1881 (Left):Major General USV, Member of Congress, Senator and President of the United States of America. (Right):Erected by his comrades of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland May 12 1887. — Map (db m18602) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. — "Oldest Post of the Corps" |
| | Site selected by President Thomas Jefferson and Lieutenant Colonel Commandant William Ward Burrows on 31 March 1801.
A National Capital Landmark and entered in the National Register of Historic Places.
United States Marine Corps — Map (db m10833) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Mary McLeod Bethune |
| | 1875–1955 Let her works praise her. I leave you love. • I leave you hope. • I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another. • I leave you a thirst for education. • I leave you a respect for the use of power. • I leave you faith. • I leave you racial dignity. • I leave you also a desire to live harmoniously with your fellow man. • I leave you finally a responsibility to our young people. —Mary McLeod Bethune. — Map (db m5505) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Naval Monument — Peace Memorial |
| | In memory of the officers seamen and marines of the United States Navy who fell in defence of the union and liberty of their country 1861-1865 — Map (db m18594) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — 5 — Oldest Post of the Corps — Tour of Duty — Barracks Row Heritage Trail |
| | On your left is Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., the oldest continuously manned post in the U.S. Marine Corps. The installation was originally designed by architect George Hadfield in 1801 with a central parade ground and housing for 500 enlisted and officers in addition to the Commandant's Quarters (in mid-block across the street). This elegant 23-room house, enhanced in 1901 by a mansard roof, is the only remaining original structure.
When the U.S. government moved from Philadelphia to . . . — Map (db m10834) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — Ulysses S. Grant Memorial |
| | Grant — Map (db m18597) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — 10 — Washington Navy Yard: Maker of Weapons — Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail |
| | The white brick wall in front of you marks the original northern boundary of the Navy Yard. The yard grew from its original 12 acres to 128 acres at its peak in 1962. In 2003 it consisted of 73 acres with 55 acres making up the adjacent Southeast Federal Center. After the War of 1812, the Navy Yard's shipbuilding dwindled. the Anacostia River was too shallow and remote from the ope sea for building large vessels. By the 1840s, weapons production dominated activities. In 1886, the Naval Gun . . . — Map (db m10822) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Capitol Hill — 9 — Washington Navy Yard: Serving the Fleet — Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail |
| | In front of you is the main gate of the Washington Navy Yard, established in 1799. It is the U.S. Navy's oldest shore facility in continuous use. Over time, workers here have built and repaired ships and their fittings, designed and developed ordnance (weapons and ammunition), and provided administrative support for the fleet.
Although city designer Pierre L'Enfant planned a commercial center for the site, its access to water and nearby timber made it a natural for ship building. The . . . — Map (db m10835) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Chinatown — e.6 — Chinatown — "Dragons to bring rain, prosperity and friendship" — Civil War to Civil Rights - Downtown Heritage Trail |
| | More than 280 dragons, crowned by 700 glazed tiles, look down from the Chinatown Friendship Archway before you. Symbols of the spirits that bring rain and prosperity in China, these painted and carved dragons are fitted together like a giant jigsaw puzzle in the ancient Chinese building tradition of "gong" balancing. Seven roofs of weighing nine tons each are cantilevered, with no nails almost 50 feet above the street.
This is the largest single-span Chinese archway in the world, designed . . . — Map (db m12651) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Chinatown — Friendship Archway |
| | This friendship archway was erected by the District of Columbia and the Municipality of Beijing, 1986.
Marion Barry, Jr.
Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Chen Xitong
Mayor, Beijing Municipal Government — Map (db m9161) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Chinatown — e.5 — Mary Surratt's Boarding House — Downtown Heritage Trail - Civil War to Civil Rights |
| | "The nest in which the egg was hatched."President Andrew Johnson, April 1865. The building at 604 H Street, today Golo’s Chinese Restaurant, is intimately connected with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater, just five blocks from here. During the Civil War this modest brick house was occupied by a Maryland-born widow, Mary Surratt, who took in boarders. Like many in this Southern history, she was quietly sympathetic to the Confederacy, . . . — Map (db m16585) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Colonial Village — Frank D. Reeves — 7760 16th Street, NW — African American Heritage Trail, Washington, DC |
| | Frank D. Reeves (1916–1973), a lawyer and civil
rights activist, was part of the team that shaped the
1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court
case outlawing school segregation. He advised
Senator John E Kennedy on minority affairs during
the 1960 presidential campaign, then joined the
Howard University School of Law faculty. At the same time Reeves served as legal counsel to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and helped negotiate the 1963 March on Washington . . . — Map (db m20194) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — Buchanan |
| | [Panel No. 1]:
James Buchanan of Pennsylvania
President of the United States
MDCCCIVII - MDCCCIXI
[Panel No. 2]:
The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law — Map (db m24150) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — 15 of 19 — College Hill — Cultural Convergence — Columbia Heights Heritage Trail |
| | Wayland Seminary opened in Foggy Bottom just after the Civil War to train formerly enslaved people and others as “preachers and teachers for the South” and as missionaries to evangelize Africa. In 1875 it moved here, later merging with Richmond Theological Seminary to become Virginia Union University in Richmond. Among Wayland’s distinguished alumni was Booker T. Washington.
Just two blocks up the hill is the former site of George Washington University’s predecessor, . . . — Map (db m23947) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — Francis L. Cardozo High School — 1928 |
| | Organized September 1928 at M Street and New York Avenue
Moved February 19, 1933
to Ninth Street and Rhode
Island Avenue, N.W.
Moved August 1950 to Thirteenth
and Clifton Street, N.W. — Map (db m23651) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — 9 of 19 — Justice vs. Injustice — Cultural Convergence — Columbia Heights Heritage Trail |
| |
These elegant 13th Street Houses were constructed when racial separation was legal and widely accepted. In 1910 the deeds for many houses across 13th Street had covenants banning “any negro or colored persons.” Those on this side generally did not have the covenants.
By the 1930s, 13th Street divided black from white. Then, in 1941, African American educator Mary Hundley and her husband Frederick bought 2530 13th Street, on the white side, despite its restrictive covenant. . . . — Map (db m23603) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — 1 of 19 — Main Street — Cultural Convergence — Columbia Heights Heritage Trail |
| | Marker Front: Fourteenth Street has always been the business backbone of Columbia Heights. Beginning in the 1890s, electric streetcars dropped passengers at nearly every corner, attracting commerce. By 1925 storefronts occupied the blocks between Euclid and Otis Streets.
Most stores, often less than 20 feet wide, were family run and offered one line of products. In 192 on 14th Street between Irving Street and Park Road alone, you could find hats, bicycles, men's clothing, ladies’ . . . — Map (db m23705) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — 10 of 19 — On the Heights — Cultural Convergence — Columbia Heights Heritage Trail |
| |
In the days of legally segregated public education (1862-1954), this school building was Central High, the gem of the School Board’s white division. But by 1949, it had few students, as the post-World War II suburban housing boom had drawn whites away. Consequently, African American families outnumbered whites around Central.
Nearby “Colored” high schools - especially Cardozo at Ninth Street and Rhode Island Avenue - struggled with overcrowded, outdated facilities. When . . . — Map (db m23608) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — 17 of 19 — Social Justice — Cultural Convergence — Columbia Heights Heritage Trail |
| | Straight ahead is All Souls Church, Unitarian, long known for its social activism, starting with abolitionism in the 1820s and ranging through nuclear disarmament and interracial cooperation. During the segregation era, All Souls was one of the few places in DC open to integrated meetings. During the 1980s and '90s it (and other neighborhood churches) even hosted concerts by DC's influential punk bands Bad Brains, Fugazi, Minor Threat, and others.
In the 1960s, the church launched the . . . — Map (db m24152) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Columbia Heights — Washington Meridian — "The Stone" — 1804 - 1923 |
| | The stone marking the Washington Meridian was formerly located 52 feet, nine inches west of this tablet which was presented by the Army and Navy Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. — Map (db m17438) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Deanwood — 5 of 15 — A Whirl on the Ferris Wheel — A Self Reliant People — Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail |
| | To your right it is the former Merritt Educational Center which operated from 1943 to 2008. However, if you were standing here in the 1920s or '30s, in its place you would have seen exuberant crowds of fashionably dressed African Americans enjoying Suburban Gardens Amusement Park.
The park was built in 1921 by architectural engineer Howard D. Woodson, writer John H. Paynter, theater magnate Sherman H. Dudley, and other investors of the black-owned Universal Development and Company. It was . . . — Map (db m24519) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Deanwood — 12 of 15 — Designed to Compete — A Self-Reliant People — Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail |
| | This quaint frame building has served several church congregations since its construction in 1908. The First Zion Baptist Church stayed for more than 60 years. Since 1993 members of Joshua's Temple First Born Church have worshiped within its walls.
One of the city's first academically trained Black architects, William Sidney Pittman (1875-1958), designed this understated structure. Pittman trained at Tuskegee Institute, where he won the support of the founder Booker T. Washington and later . . . — Map (db m21681) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Deanwood — Original Federal Boundary Stone NE 9 |
| | Original Federal Boundary Stone
District of Columbia
Placed 1791-1792
Protected by Capt Molly Pitcher Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
1916 — Map (db m5283) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — "Surratt Boarding House" |
| | A historical landmark “Surratt Boarding House” 604 H Street N.W. (then 541) is said to have been where the conspirators plotted the abduction of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Plaque by Chi-Am Lions Club — Map (db m7046) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Abraham Lincoln |
| | Abraham Lincoln died in this house April 15, 1865 at 7:22 a.m. Purchased by the United States in 1896. — Map (db m15943) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — W.3 — Asbury United Methodist Church — Civil War to Civil Rights — Downtown Heritage Trail |
| | Stories of slavery and freedom, of struggle and achievement are woven through the history of this African American congregation. Founded in 1836, by the time of the Civil War Asbury United Methodist Church was the preeminent Black church in the city, its membership of 600 making it the largest of 11 African American congregations in Washington. Today, Asbury counts among its members descendants of District slaves who tried a dramatic escape to freedom in 1848 aboard the ship Pearl. . . . — Map (db m10904) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski — 1748 - 1779 |
| | (Bronze Plaque):Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski 1748-1779The bronze equestrian statue of Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, portrays the Revolutionary War hero in the uniform of a Polish cavalry commander. Born in Winiary, Poland on March 4, 1748 to a noble family, Pulaski gained prominence in Europe for his role in defending liberty in Poland. Excited by the struggle of the emerging American republic, Pulaski joined in its fight for independence, arriving in Boston in July, 1777. . . . — Map (db m17615) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Central Public Library — Mount Vernon Square — African American Heritage Trail, Washington, DC |
| | This majestic building was opened in 1903 as the Central Public Library, popularly known as the Carnegie Library because Andrew Carnegie donated funds to build it. From the start Central was open to all. Mary Church Terrell and historian John Cromwell spoke here regularly, and materials on African American history and culture were especially useful to teachers preparing for “Negro History Week” (now Black History Month). In 1972 the library moved to Ninth and G Streets, NW, and was . . . — Map (db m18794) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — 16 — Cesar Chavez — 1927 - 1993 |
| | Led by his desire to secure a better quality of life for migrant farm workers, Cesar Chavez helped found the United Farm Workers of America, the first effective farm workers' union in the United States. Under his leadership of nonviolent protest, the UFW was able to secure improved wages and benefits, more humane living and working conditions, and better job security for some of the poorest workers in America. Through his life of service, Chavez provided inspiration to countless others. . . . — Map (db m15471) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — W.7 — Freedom Plaza — Civil War to Civil Rights — Downtown Heritage Trail |
| | “I have a dream.” Martin Luther King, Jr. August 1963
The block-long plaza at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue just ahead to your left honors civil rights leader Martin Luther King with the name Freedom Plaza. King completed his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in the Willard Hotel adjacent to the plaza, before delivering it to a crowd of 200,000 at the Lincoln Memorial.
Freedom Plaza also recalls Washington’s first city planner, Major Pierre L’Enfant, with . . . — Map (db m17943) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church |
| | This church, one of the Nation’s most historic, traces its beginnings to a small group of Scottish stonemasons meeting in a carpenter’s shop on the grounds of the White House during its construction in 1793. Many prominent Americans, including 17 Presidents, have worshipped here. Abraham Lincoln attended regularly during his Presidency and his original pew remains in the Sanctuary. An initial draft document leading to the Emancipation Proclamation is on display in the Lincoln Parlor. Dr. . . . — Map (db m2115) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Jean Monnet — 1888-1979 |
| | Born in France, widely travelled, he died at age 90 near Paris, proud citizen of a united Europe he inspired and helped to create. Earlier, from his office in the Willard Hotel, he contributed greatly to America's victory program for wartime production while a member of the British mission in Washington during World War I. — Map (db m6708) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — John J. Pershing, General of the Armies (1860-1948) — The Western Front - The Meuse-Argonne Campaign |
| | [Panel 1]:
On 6 April 1917, the United States entered World War I. With few regular forces, the task of training and transporting an effective army to fight in France was formidable. The U.S. Navy, acting swiftly to combat the German submarine menace, dispatched fighting ships and aircraft to European waters. Simultaneously, it began the organization of convoys for hundreds of thousands of troops to undertake the tremendous work of organizing the American Expeditionary Forces. . . . — Map (db m10780) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Julia Ward Howe |
| | In honor of Julia Ward Howe who wrote the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" here at the Old Willard Hotel November 21, 1861 "In the beauty of the lillies Christ was born across the sea with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me." Presented by the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic January 24, 1938 Committee Frances Martin Kuhns - Emily Jerman Tompkins Annie Maria Michener - Edina Pearl Trigg Margret Hopkins Worrell Donors Orpha M. Whitaker | . . . — Map (db m6709) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — National Press Club |
| | At this site, at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in March 1908, the National Press Club, now located at 529 14th Street, was formed through the adoption of a constitution and bylaws and the election of the club's first officers.
The National Press Club was founded to provide professional contact between news reporters. It has grown into one of the premier journalism organizations of the world with thousands of members and activities to promote freedom of the press.
Dedicated to . . . — Map (db m6586) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — e.2 — Old City Hall — Civil War to Civil Rights — Downtown Heritage Trail |
| | "--witness to the end of slavery in the nation’s capital."
This imposing Greek Revival building was Washington’s first city hall, designed by George Hadfield and built between 1820 and 1850. It house the city court and an elected mayor and city council until 1871. Its prestigious high site overlooked Pennsylvania Avenue and bordered Judiciary Square, then as now, a hub of community life.
This building also stood witness to the end of slavery in the District of Columbia. President . . . — Map (db m21758) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Reserve Officers Association of the United States |
| | At this site on the 2nd of October 1922 General of the Armies John J. Pershing met with 140 World War I reserve officers and founded the Reserve Officers Association of the United States. At the meeting General Pershing said: "I consider this gathering perhaps one of the most important, from a military point of view, that has assembled in Washington or anywhere else within the confines of this country within my time."
Army Reserve Brigadier General Henry J. Reilly was elected . . . — Map (db m6503) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Site of Rhodes Tavern |
| | [First Panel]:
Built in 1799, in the hope that the new capital would become a great city.
Opened as a tavern and inn by William Rhodes, 1801.
Washington's first 'town hall,' where White House architect James Hoban and other citizens met to petition Congress for representation and localy elected government, 1801.
Polling place in first city council election, 1802.
Early boarding house used by Members of Congress, 1807 - 1814.
Spared the torch during the . . . — Map (db m9651) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — St. Patrick's Parish — Erected about 1792 |
| | First church to be erected in the "Federal City" outside the limits of "George Towne." First pastor, Rev. Anthony Caffrey, brought from Dublin at suggestion of James Hoban, architect of the "Presidential Palace."
March 17, 1953. — Map (db m15936) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — The John A. Wilson Building |
| | The John A. Wilson Building is headquarters of the local government that serves the nearly 600,000 citizens who call the Nation's capital their home. The Mayor and the 13-member Council, elected by residents of the District of Columbia, oversee all functions similar to those of city, county and state governments across America. Dedicated as the District Building on July 4, 1908, it was renamed in 1998 for John A. Wilson, a former Council chairman. The marble and granite Beaux Artes style . . . — Map (db m12612) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — The New Willard |
| | Erected 1901 Site of
Joshua Tennison's Hotel 1818. John Strother 1821. Basil Williamson 1824. Frederick Barnard 1828. Proprietor of Mansion Hotel, Azariah Fuller American House 1833. City Hotel 1843. Willard's Hotel 1847-1901.
Distinguished Guests
Presidents Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, Grant, Harding and Coolidge. Vice Presidents Henricks, Marshall and Dawes.
Also:
The Marquis de Lafayette, Jenny Lind, Charles Dickens, Lord and Lady Napier, Lloyd George, Edward . . . — Map (db m6618) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — The Peace Convention |
| | The old Willard Hotel was the scene of the last major effort to restore the Union and prevent the Civil War. At Virginia's invitation, delegates from twenty-one of the then thirty-four states met in secret session from February 4 to 27, 1861, in a vain attempt to solve the differences between the North and South. To honor those who worked for peace and unity, this memorial is erected by the Virginia Civil War Commission, February 1961. — Map (db m6541) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — The United States Court of Claims |
| | The United States Court of Claims held its first meeting in "Willard's Hotel" on this site on May 11, 1855. The court was established to allow citizens to sue the U.S. Government. In 1861, President Lincoln wrote of the court:
"It is as much the duty of the government to render prompt justice against itself, in favor of citizens, as it is to administer the same between private individuals."
This memorial is placed here on behalf of the United
States Court of Federal Claims . . . — Map (db m6587) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — To the Memory of Oscar S. Straus — 1850 - Statesman, Author, Diplomat - 1926 — "Liberty" - "Reason" |
| | This monument was erected by public subscription in accordance with the joint resolution of Congress of December 16, 1927. Signed by President Coolidge March 2, 1929, in memory of
Oscar S. Straus
1850 - 1926
Author
"Origin of the Republican Form of Government" 1885
"Roger Williams - Pioneer of Religious Liberty" 1891
"Under Four Administrations" 1922
Diplomat
Minister to Turkey 1887-1888, 1898-1900
Ambassador to Turkey 1909-1910
Statesman . . . — Map (db m9159) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Webster-Ashburton Treaty |
| | Friendship between the United States and Canada was developed and strengthened by the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, on August 9, 1842, in the old State Department building which stood on this site. This treaty established the north- eastern boundary between the two countries. This tablet paced by the Kiwanis Club of Washington in Cooperation with the committee on marking points of historic interest April 30, 1929 — Map (db m17617) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — Western Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue — [Freedom Plaza] |
| | Western Plaza consists of a large raised terrace in which part of L'Enfant's original 1791 plan for Washington, D.C. is rendered in black and white stone. At one end of the raised terrace is a pool. At the other is a shaded sitting area around a statue of General Pulaski.
Inscribed on the upper terrace are historic quotations about Washington. Low walls separate the plaza from surrounding traffic. Eleven large urns rest on top of these walls and contain seasonal planting. The upper map . . . — Map (db m17966) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Downtown — W.6 — Willard Inter-Continental Hotel — Civil War to Civil Rights — Downtown Heritage Trail |
| | "This hotel, in fact, may be much more justly called the center of Washington and the Union than either the Capitol, the White House or the State Department. . ." Nathaniel Hawthorne, Civil War reporter for the Atlantic Monthly At 6:30 a.m. in late February 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln and his security team headed by Alan Pinkerton slipped into what was then called Willard's Hotel, an earlier version of the hotel now at this site. Assassination threats dictated this quiet . . . — Map (db m10905) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), East Corner — Original Federal Boundary Stone East |
| | Original Federal Boundary Stone
District of Columbia
Placed 1791-1792
Protected by Dist. of Co. Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
1916 — Map (db m5281) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), East Potomac Park — Cuban Friendship Urn |
| | (smaller plaque on the urn) El recuerdo del “Maine” tendrá eterna duración durante los siglos los lazos de la amistad entre la tierra de Cuba y la tierra de los Estados Unidos de Norte América. —Gerardo Machado
(plaque on base) Esta copa fué esculpida de un fragmento de la columna de mármol del monumento a las víctimas del “Maine” ericido en la ciudad de La Habana, cuya columna fué derribada por el ciclón de 20 de Octubre de 1926.
. . . — Map (db m7871) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — At All Hours |
| | “It shall be their duty, at all hours, by night as well as by day, to pass all boats and floats presenting themselves at their locks.” —Charles Mercer, President, C&O Canal Company.
Every time his boat passed through a lock, a boat captain put his life and livelihood in the hands of the locktender. The wooden lock gates were a delicate balance between safety and efficiency. They had to be light enough to allow one man to move them, yet strong enough to hold back 140,000 . . . — Map (db m128) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal |
| | Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Commenced at Georgetown. July 4th 1828. Chief Engineer Benjamin Wright.
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company, 1850. President James M. Coale. Directors William A. Bradley, Henry Daingerfield, Wm. Cost Johnson, John Pickell, George Schley, Samuel P. Smith. Clerk Walter S. Bringgold. Treasurer Lawrence J. Brengle.
Maryland State Agents. Samuel Sprigg, Allen B. Davis, Wm. T. Goldsborough, Tench Tilghman, John Van Lear. — Map (db m118) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Creating a National Park |
| | “It is a refuge, a place of retreat, a long stretch of quiet and peace at the Capital's back door . . .” —William O. Douglas
Look around you. The park you stand in exists because people cared. In January 1954, Justice William O. Douglas of the Supreme Court of the United States responded to a Washington Post editorial recommending that the C&O Canal be turned into a parkway. Writing in support of preserving the canal as a national park, Douglas wrote, “It is a . . . — Map (db m129) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Francis Scott Key |
| | 1779-1843. The author of our National Anthem was a lawyer, patriot, community leader and poet. His home and law office stood approximately 100 yards west of here. Francis Scott Key lived there from 1803 to about 1833 with his wife, the former Mary Taylor Lloyd of Annapolis, Maryland, and their six sons and five daughters. The house was demolished in 1947 after years of neglect by various owners.
During the war of 1812, British troops had invaded and captured Washington in August of 1814. . . . — Map (db m120) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Francis Scott Key Park |
| | A Place With Its Own History.
Before 1620 the area of the Francis Scott Key Park was inhabited by members of the Algonquian, Nacostine, Nacotchatank, Piscatoway and Patawomeke tribes. In 1634 it became part of the English Colony of Maryland.
Beginning in the 18th Century, Falls or M Street (1) was the trail to the Potomac river falls, and Frederick or 34th Street (2) was the access to the west landing of the port of George Town and Hite's Ferry (3) to Virginia. George Washington . . . — Map (db m119) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Georgetown Historic District |
| | Has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States. — Map (db m130) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Healy Hall — National Historic Landmark — Georgetown University |
| | [Panel 1:]
Healy Hall bares the name of
the Reverend Patrick F. Healy, S.J. 1834-1910 the University's twenty-ninth president 1873-1882
The first Black American to hold a doctorate and the first to serve as president of a major university in the United States, known as Georgetown's second founder. Father Healy - through his pioneering achievement and personal sacrifice - established this institution as a leader in American higher education.
[Panel 2:]
Healy Hall Georgetown . . . — Map (db m21889) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Holy Trinity Church — [Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola] |
| | Erected 1792
First place for public Catholic worship in what is now the District of Columbia — Map (db m22075) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — Holy Trinity Parish — 1790 |
| |
Founded by the Jesuit community of George-town College.
This church was first dedicated 15 June 1851
Restored and re-dedicated 23 September 1979
The original church to the rear was dedicated 1792 and remains the
oldest standing church in the District of Columbia. — Map (db m22077) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — John Carroll — (1735-1815) |
| | First Archbishop of Baltimore Founder of Georgetown University
By Sculptor Jerome Connor commissioned by alumni, faculty and Jesuits.
To insure that this University treasure, placed here on May 4, 1912, will forever survive to greet all visitors to this campus:
Please do not climb or sit on the statue.
Thank you.
[Inscriptions on base of adjacent statue:] John Carroll: Founder Priest, Patriot, Prelate — Map (db m21962) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — John Fitzgerald Kennedy — Church of the Holy Trinity |
| | [Rendering of the Seal of the President of the United States]
In Memoriam
Within the hallowed walls of the historic Church of the Holy Trinity in
Georgetown, D.C. worshiped the late President of the United States, John
Fitzgerald Kennedy, the first Catholic to hold that exalted office. This
martyred chief executive also prayed in this church as a member of the
House of Representatives and as a United States Senator when he resided
in Georgetown. It was here that he attended . . . — Map (db m22076) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Georgetown — The Star-Spangled Banner |
| | The Flag. The immortal words "star-spangled Banner" refer to the magnificent flag which Francis Scott Key saw "by the dawn's early light" after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814. It is the largest flag ever flown in battle in U.S. history.
During preparations to defend Baltimore's vital seaport and center of commerce during the War of 1812, the commander of Fort McHenry, Major George Armistead, wanted a flag so big "that the British will have no difficulty . . . — Map (db m121) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Judiciary Square — Discover DC / Judiciary Square |
| | Welcome to downtown Washington DC—an area rich in history, culture and places to see.
You will enjoy visiting the following sites located in the vicinity of this sign.
The Courts on Judiciary Square.
Judiciary Square is one of the original open spaces in the 1791 Pierre L’Enfant plan for Washington D.C. that survives today as an important civic and historic resource. The Square is occupied by a series of court buildings dating from the 1820’s to the 1930’s. The H. Carl Moultrie . . . — Map (db m18439) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Mount Pleasant — 1 of 17 — Fashionable 16th Street — Village in the City — Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail |
| | Today's 16th Street from the White House to Silver Spring, Maryland is one of the city's key gateways. But through the 1890s it jogged left where Mt. Pleasant Street runs today and then dead-ended at the edge of today's Rock Creek Park.
After decades on the city's wish list, in 1903, 16th Street was straightened and extended to Spring Road, several blocks north of here. This improvement, coupled with the arrival of the electric streetcar, made airy Mount Pleasant an attractive location for . . . — Map (db m17138) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Mount Vernon Square/Shaw — 2 of 17 — For the Working People — Midcity at the Crossroads — Shaw Heritage Trail |
| | "There is not a wrong too long endured that we are not determined to abolish." Samuel Gompers.
This large office building opened in 1916 as the headquarters of the American Federation of Labor. With 2.5 million members, this union was the nation's largest and most powerful. The building's design by Milburn, Heister & Co. symbolized the union's maturity and strength.
The AF of L's first president was London-born Samuel Gompers (1850-1924). Gompers immigrated to New York in 1863, . . . — Map (db m22625) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Mount Vernon Square/Shaw — 1 of 17 — Words and Deeds — Midcity at the Crossroads — Shaw Heritage Trail |
| | Wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated funds to build the Beaux Arts-style building you see across the street to your left, the city’s first public library. The Central Library opened in 1903 with 12,412 books by its predecessor, the private Washington City Free Library.
The public library welcomed all races at a time when the city was generally segregated. It occupied an unofficial border between businesses that primarily served Whites to the south, and those that largely catered . . . — Map (db m21801) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Navy Yard — Frank Oliver Howard — "Hondo" |
| | Frank Howard played for the Washington Senators from 1965 through 1971.
One of the most physically intimidating hitters in baseball history Howard was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1960. He led the American League in home runs twice and in slugging average, runs batted in and walks once.
His 237 home runs as a Washington Senator is a team record. — Map (db m20612) |
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