Download or read book Historic Washington DC written by Lori Wysong and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-08-15 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Landmarks are the Touchstones of the Meandering Traveler From the sites where American democracy was born, to unique archive collections, art galleries, and architectural must-sees in the middle of this bustling city, Washington, DC is home to 75 National Historic Landmarks. Tour the Capital City and travel back in time to discover the unique stories of its history. Carefully curated by a local historian, Historic Washington, DC: A Tour of the District’s Top 50 National Landmarks is the essential guide to the most memorable historic sites in our nation’s capital. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a local visitor, or a tourist, there is something for everyone in this guide to Washington, DC’s past.

Download or read book Historic Restaurants of Washington D C written by John DeFerrari and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2009-02-11 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the culinary heritage of America’s capitol with this guide to Washington, D.C.’s historic restaurants and storied local eateries. While today’s foodies enjoy the latest culinary trends of Logan Circle and the H Street corridor, Washington's first true restaurants opened around 1830. Waves of immigrants introduced a global mix of ingredients to the capital’s eager palates by opening eateries like the venerable China Doll Gourmet and Cleveland Park's Roma Restaurant. By the twentieth century, the variety and quality of cuisine was astounding. Diners could have tea at Garfinckel's Greenbrier or lunch at local favorites such as Little Tavern Diner or Ben's Chili Bowl. For an elegant evening, fine restaurants like Rive Gauche and the Monocle satisfied the most sophisticated gastronome. With careful research and choice recipes, “Streets of Washington” blogger John DeFerrari chronicles the culinary and social history of the capital through its restaurants, tasting his way from the lavish Gilded Age dining halls of the Willard Hotel to the Hot Shoppe's triple-decker Mighty Mo.

Download or read book Very Washington DC written by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2013-06-14 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A travel guide with character, this fact-filled keepsake offers all the history, beauty, charm, and culture of our nation's capital city. In eye-catching watercolors and detailed sketches, artist Diana Gessler captures the allure that makes Washington DC one of the most visited destinations in the country. In addition to the national landmarks, stirring memorials, and vibrant neighborhoods, there's the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Twilight Tattoo (a military pageant featuring the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Army Drill Team), colorful row houses, famous hotels and restaurants, and more museums than you'll be able to visit in just one trip. Gessler covers the city's most popular attractions but also heads off the beaten path to share hidden gems, like the quirky Albert Einstein Memorial and Eastern Market, where you can dine on bluebucks and browse for flea market finds. Also included are an index of sites and a useful appendix of addresses, Web sites, Metro stops, and phone numbers. Very Washington DC is a picture-perfect guidebook—a one-of-a-kind memento for tourists and a cherished reminder of the city's riches for those who have always lived in America's hometown.

Download or read book Empire of Mud written by J. D. Dickey and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.

Download or read book The Evolution of Washington DC written by James M. Goode and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Evolution of Washington, DC is a striking volume featuring select pieces of the extraordinary collection of Washingtoniana donated by Albert H. Small to the George Washington University in 2011. It showcases treasures such as an 1860 lithograph of the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in front of the White House and a contemporary print of old Potomac River steamboats. Other unique pieces include early designs for the White House, the Capitol, and the Washington Monument as well as presidential portraits and Civil War memorabilia. Each object--from architectural plans and topographical maps to letters and advertisements--tells a fascinating story, and together they illustrate the history of our nation's capital and indeed our nation itself.

Download or read book Classical Architecture and Monuments of Washington D C A History Guide written by Michael Curtis and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2018 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For architecture aficinados and historians, this comprehensive view of the statues, monuments and architectural plans of Washington DC provides an exciting insight into our federal city. Author Michael Curtis guides this tour of the heart of the District of Columbia's buildings, statues, and monuments. Classical design formed our nation's capital. The soaring Washington Monument, the columns of the Lincoln Memorial and the spectacular dome of the Capitol Building speak to the founders' expansive vision of our federal city. Learn about the L'Enfant and McMillan plans for Washington, D.C., and how those designs are reflected in two hundred years of monuments, museums and representative government. View the statues of our Founding Fathers with the eye of a sculptor and gain insight into the criticism and controversies of modern additions to Washington's monumental structure.

Download or read book Historically African American Leisure Destinations Around Washington D C written by Patsy Mose Fletcher and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2015-12-07 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, African Americans in the Washington, D.C. area sought leisure destinations where they could relax without the burden of racial oppression. Local picnic parks such as Eureka and Madre's were accessible by streetcars. Black-owned steamboats ferried passengers seeking sun and sand to places like Collingwood Beach, and African American families settled into quiet beach-side communities along the Western Shore of Maryland. Author and public historian Patsy M. Fletcher reveals the history behind Washington's forgotten era of African American leisure.

Download or read book The Historic Waterfront of Washington D C written by John R. Wennersten and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The waters of the Potomac and the Anacostia Rivers surround and define the nation's capital. For centuries, these rivers have been manipulated environments--transformed by native populations, settlers, politicians and real estate developers. With docks and wharves extending from the Anacostia River to Georgetown, the architect of the young capital, Pierre L'Enfant, planned to develop the waterfront into a prosperous inland seaport. Decades later, the Civil War took a devastating toll on the District's maritime economy with civilian port facilities pressed into military service and the failure of many riverfront plantations. Author John R. Wennersten explores this early history of Washington, D.C.'s waterfront even as he tackles its twentieth-century redevelopment and the challenges the rivers face today.

Download or read book Historic Buildings of Washington D C written by Scott Clowney and published by Commonwealth Editions. This book was released on 2017-05-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover iconic buildings and buildings off the beaten path that give shape to Washington, D.C., our nation's capital. Collect your crayons, colored pencils, pens, or markers and reimagine the White House, Union Station, and other architectural landmarks. Make a mark with your own colorful and creative expression!

Download or read book 10Best Washington DC written by 10Best and published by BookPros, LLC. This book was released on 2006-09 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover Washington, DC's best restaurants, nightclubs, sights and activities, day trips and more. Concise ranked recommendations, contact details, maps, traveler tips, city overview and access to online resources.

Download or read book Washington DC History for Kids written by Richard Panchyk and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1790, after seven years of heated debate, the Continental Congress approved a plan to establish the nation's offical capital in a barely populated swamp straddling the Potomac River. Ten years later, in November 1800, Congress gaveled in its first session in the federal city—Washington—in what was then called the Territory of Columbia. Washington, DC, History for Kids chronicles the rich and fascinating history of our nation's capital. Its first years were difficult—in 1814 the British invaded and burned the White House, the Treasury Building, and the Half-built Capitol Building—yet the city survived and flourished. During the next two centuries, District residents endured the Civil War at the front lines, witnessed the assassinations of two presidents, erected national monuments, and strove to overcome the city's shameful racial segregation. This lively history also includes a time line, a list of online resources, and 21 engaging hands-on activities. Kids will: gather items for a cornerstone time capsule, take a walking tour of the national mall, research family history through the National Archives, design a memorial for a favorite president, plant a cherry tree, and more.

Download or read book Records of the Columbia Historical Society Washington D C written by Columbia Historical Society (Washington, D.C.) and published by . This book was released on 1901 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book St John s Church Lafayette Square written by Richard F. Grimmett and published by Hillcrest Publishing Group. This book was released on 2009 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, in Washington, DC is one of the most unique churches in the United States. A National Historic Landmark, located just north of Lafayette Square, and in clear view of the White House, it has witnessed the presence within its walls of more notable civilian and military leaders of the United States than any other church in the nation. Apart from the White House, St. John's Church is the oldest building adjacent to Lafayette Square. It was designed, and its construction supervised, by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, a leading architect of the early national period. From its opening in October 1816, every person, beginning with James Madison, who has held the office of President of the United States has attended St. John's at least once. Several Presidents have been members. Thus, St. John's is called "the Church of the Presidents." A significant number of members of St. John's, past and present, have played very prominent roles in the public life of the United States and the city of Washington, DC. This book tells the story of this historic church from its origins to the present, while chronicling notable services held at it, and key events in the lives of distinguished Americans who were personally connected with St. John's during their residence in Washington. REVIEWS The first thing to note about this marvelous history of St. John's Church is the research. From start to finish the facts are meticulously assembled and clearly laid out to the reader. This alone makes the book worth reading. But it is far more than a collection of facts. It is the story--or rather the stories-- of St. John's Church that makes this book stand out as a true gem with very few equals in the annals of Church History. --Harry S. Stout Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Religious History Yale University Sited importantly on its corner across from the White House, St. John's Episcopal Church has served both the famous and Everyman without interruption for nearly 200 years, its architectural evolution an index of the development of the capital itself. Historian Richard Grimmett tells the story of the "Church of the Presidents" in "St. John's Church: Lafayette Square" with the painstaking accuracy of an experienced researcher. Flavored with personalities and rich anecdotes, this book begins life as a Washington classic. --William Seale Editor, White House History author of "The President's House: A History." Because St. John's Church has been so closely associated with presidents, cabinet members, powerful insiders and Washington society ... anyone interested in the compelling historical details of a slice of Washington life would want to add the book to his or her library. --Mary O. Klein Archivist, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

Download or read book Lost Washington D C written by John DeFerrari and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of the popular blog “The Streets of Washington” shares new vignettes and reader favorites exploring the colorful history of America’s capitol. In Lost Washington, D.C., John DeFerrari investigates the bygone institutions and local haunts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Washington may seem eternal and unchanging with its grand avenues and stately monuments, but longtime locals and earlier generations knew a very different place. Discover the Washington of lavish window displays at Woodies, supper at the grand Raleigh Hotel and a Friday night game at Griffith Stadium. From the raucous age of burlesque at the Gayety Theater and the once bustling Center Market to the mystery of Suter's Tavern and the disappearance of the Key mansion in Georgetown, DeFerrari recalls the lost city of yesteryear.

Download or read book The Washington National Mall written by Peter R. Penczer and published by . This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first general history of the National Mall in Washington, America's most important urban park. The Mall is home to the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum complex in the world, and it is the location of memorials to America's most important heroes. It has become the nation's center stage as well, the venue for the country's largest demonstrations. The Washington National Mall details the history of the National Mall and its institutions, then tells the stories behind each of the monuments and museums.

Download or read book Historic Capital written by Cameron Logan and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2017-12-19 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington, D.C. has long been known as a frustrating and sometimes confusing city for its residents to call home. The monumental core of federal office buildings, museums, and the National Mall dominates the city’s surrounding neighborhoods and urban fabric. For much of the postwar era, Washingtonians battled to make the city their own, fighting the federal government over the basic question of home rule, the right of the city’s residents to govern their local affairs. In Historic Capital, urban historian Cameron Logan examines how the historic preservation movement played an integral role in Washingtonians’ claiming the city as their own. Going back to the earliest days of the local historic preservation movement in the 1920s, Logan shows how Washington, D.C.’s historic buildings and neighborhoods have been a site of contestation between local interests and the expansion of the federal government’s footprint. He carefully analyzes the long history of fights over the right to name and define historic districts in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and Capitol Hill and documents a series of high-profile conflicts surrounding the fate of Lafayette Square, Rhodes Tavern, and Capitol Park, SW before discussing D.C. today. Diving deep into the racial fault lines of D.C., Historic Capital also explores how the historic preservation movement affected poor and African American residents in Anacostia and the U Street and Shaw neighborhoods and changed the social and cultural fabric of the nation’s capital. Broadening his inquiry to the United States as a whole, Logan ultimately makes the provocative and compelling case that historic preservation has had as great an impact on the physical fabric of U.S. cities as any other private or public sector initiative in the twentieth century.

Download or read book The Great Society Subway written by Zachary M. Schrag and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2014-08 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Metro stretches to Tysons Corner and beyond, this paperback edition features a new preface from the author. Drivers in the nation's capital face a host of hazards: high-speed traffic circles, presidential motorcades, jaywalking tourists, and bewildering signs that send unsuspecting motorists from the Lincoln Memorial into suburban Virginia in less than two minutes. And parking? Don't bet on it unless you're in the fast lane of the Capital Beltway during rush hour. Little wonder, then, that so many residents and visitors rely on the Washington Metro, the 106-mile rapid transit system that serves the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs. In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Zachary M. Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day, from Arlington to College Park, Eisenhower to Marion Barry. Unlike the pre–World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways. Why did the nation's capital take a different path? What were the consequences of that decision? Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born: the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world's richest nation. The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create "a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community." Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days, including general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land-use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders. The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and the promises and limits of rail transit in American cities.