George E.C. Hayes (1894-1968) graduated from the Howard University Law School in 1918 and spent much of the rest of his life working to dismantle racial segregation. Hayes taught law at Howard and served as the university’s general counsel for more…

The Drum and Spear Bookstore, which operated from 1968 to 1974, specialized in books by and about Black people. The bookstore, founded by Charlie Cobb, Courtland Cox, Judy Richardson and Curtis Hayes (later Curtis Muhammed)--all veterans of the…

So chronicled newspaper columnist William Raspberry upon the death of Billy Simpson (1914-1975), owner of Billy Simpson’s House of Seafood and Steaks. Indeed, between 1958 and his death, Billy Simpson and his restaurant played a central role in the…

The Demonet Building sits on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and M Street, and has been a witness of the social and environmental changes on the Avenue since its construction during the late-19th Century. It is believed that the architect of the…

Constructed in 1962-65, the Washington Hilton was hailed for its sinuous massing, its use of column-and-slab construction throughout, and its uniform precast concrete wall panels—in sum, a sharp departure from local traditions. Architect William B.…

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…