Columbia Heights in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Prohibition House
Built in 1908 by Lane Brothers, 3627 10th St. NW was originally a part of Holmead Manor. Many families have called this row house home over the years, but in the early 1930s, this house was owned by Robert and Ethel Butts. Robert was a young undercover agent for the Prohibition Bureau, when he worked undercover on Capitol Hill to identify and bring justice to a bootlegger allegedly selling liquor to senators, congressmen, and their staffs. The result was the arrest of infamous bootlegger George Cassiday, known as "The Man in the Green Hat," who averaged twenty five illicit delieries per dayin his large leather briefcase. Roger Butts, thereafter known as "the Dry Spy," published a four-part series in the Washington Post about his experience. He would later play a role in the CIA's Bay of Pigs invasion, while Cassiday drew headlines with his own Washington Post series detailing how he helped 80% of Congress obtain illicit alcohol.
In 2012, Green Hat Gin became the first distillery to open in D.C. since prohibition, its name a nod to the legacy of the city's most infamous bootlegger.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • Law Enforcement • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 38° 56.115′
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Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Robeson at Spring Flats (within shouting distance of this marker); The Former Engine Co 24 of the District of Columbia Fire Department (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); District Walls, 2016 (about 700 feet away); Moving between Old and New (about 800 feet away); Mr. Lincolns Ride (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Changing Landscape (approx. 0.2 miles away); Park Road Community Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Modern Shopper (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0)
2. The Prohibition House at 3627 10th Street Northwest (in blue)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 168 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
