Founded in 1888 by a group of high-level scholars, scientists, and adventurers, the National Geographic Society (NGS) has become a well-recognized scholastic and journalistic source for stories, maps, and photographs about science, exploration, and…

In 1921, Congress approved $10,000 of funding for the construction of the Southeast Branch Library. With the additional support of Andrew Carnegie’s monetary donation, the Southeast Branch Library was dedicated a year later with the expectation to…

Founded in 1891, the Potomac Electric Company merged with the Washington Railway and Electric Company to become the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) in 1902. In 1907, PEPCO established a new central generating power plant along Benning Road,…

Union Market Terminal is a large complex of wholesale warehouse buildings occupying an approximately forty-acre tract of land located east of Union Station between Florida and New York Avenues NE. Conceived in 1928 by a federation of wholesalers…

The Brightwood area was originally part of a rural, sparsely populated county when DC was established. Built in 1832, Emory United Methodist Church demonstrates the growth of the Brightwood community spanning over 180 years. Emory was the only…

The three-story structure was completed while the neighborhood was transitioning from a wealthy suburban enclave to an area of moderately priced row houses and apartment buildings. The modestly appointed building would have appealed to middle income…

One of the first great union terminals, this imperial station with its vast interior spaces was the cornerstone of the McMillan Commission’s efforts to revive Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan of the city. Following the 1901 McMillan Commission, its…

Formed in 1912, the Seventh Street Savings Bank is an example of a small, independent bank—a type of financial institution that, prior to the Federal Reserve Act of 1914, specifically catered to the various DC neighborhoods; it served the financial…

Following the merger of two banks, this building operated as the headquarters for the new Federal-American National Bank. The bank building was designed by architect Alfred C. Bossom (1881-1965), in association with Washington’s leading Beaux-Arts…

Built between 1904 and 1908, the District Building occupies an entire city block between E and D Streets south of Pennsylvania Avenue. The building is an excellent example of American Beaux-Arts Classicism, designed by Philadelphia architectural…