Federal Triangle in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

National Intelligencer

1800-1865

Photographed by Steven Berkowitz, October 15, 2011

1. National Intelligencer Marker

Inscription. Founded by Samuel Harrison Smith and later published by Joseph Gales, Jr. The National Intelligencer for 65 years was a leading journal in the nation's capital, a vital force in the country's political life, a principal source of information about the government and for a time provided the only printed record of congressional proceedings. Much of its life, The National Intelligencer occupied this site. This plaque was placed in 1966 by Sigma Delta Chi, Professional Journalistic Society

Erected 1966 by Sigma Delta Chi, Professional Journalistic Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Government & Politics • Landmarks. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.

Location. 38° 53.574′ N, 77° 1.286′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Federal Triangle. It is on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest east of 7th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located at the northwest corner of the Federal Trade Commission building. It is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest and 7th Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20580, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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

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are within walking distance of this marker: Market Space: Yesterday’s Town Square (within shouting distance of this marker); National Council of Negro Women (within shouting distance of this marker); Grand Army of the Republic (within shouting distance of this marker); 601 Pennsylvania Avenue (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Protecting Consumers and Competition (about 300 feet away); General Winfield Scott Hancock (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Ceremony at the Crossroads (about 400 feet away); Ocean Piece (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Ceremony at the Crossroads (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. During the Civil War, the block on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest between 6th and 7th Streets Northwest-- Where the Federal Trade Commission building now stands-- was comprised of boarding houses, shops, homes and small restaurants.

Regarding National Intelligencer. The National Intelligencer was first published on October 28, 1800 as the National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser. Its office was originally located on New Jersey Avenue between D and E Streets, S.E.

Photographed by Craig Swain, June 9, 2012

2. National Intelligencer Marker

Its founder, Samuel Harrison Smith, was a young Jeffersonian-Republican from Philadelphia. In an era where papers essentially functioned as party organs, The Intelligencer strongly supported the Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe Administrations. From 1819-1829, the newspaper's publishers also served as official government printers and published the Register of Debates, a predecessor to the Congressional Record. From the 1830s to the 1850s, the paper supported the Whig Party line and it pushed a conservative, pro-Union platform on the eve of the
Civil War, endorsing John Bell and the Constitutional Union Party in the 1860 election.

Additional keywords. newspapers, National Intelligencer, Joseph Gales, Jr.

Joseph Gales image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

3. Joseph Gales

from Perley's Reminiscences by Ben. Perley Poore. 1886.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2011, by Steven Berkowitz of Annnandale, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,389 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on January 9, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1. submitted on October 15, 2011, by Steven Berkowitz of Annnandale, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 25, 2012, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3. submitted on August 28, 2020, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.