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,…

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,…

The rapid development of Petworth in the three decades after 1900 meant that it needed new schools. Until the early 1920s, there was only a single elementary school in the neighborhood. Addressing what has been characterized as a crisis in school…

The Wardman Flats are the first large-scale development project of DC's most notable developer, Harry Wardman (1872-1938). Throughout the 1890s, Wardman transitioned from carpenter to builder, largely building residential rowhouses for other…

Like the Department of War, the Department of State experienced rapid growth due to World War II, requiring it to seek quarters outside of the old State, War and Navy Building. In 1947, the Department of State moved its first unit into the…

Twin Oaks Playground was established in 1920 to serve the rapidly growing rowhouse community of Petworth. Originally, Twin Oaks was little more than fenced lawns, with a clay tennis court on the northern section. It was not until 1933 that a…

Built in 1926, this stately two-story, Colonial Revival-style, stone house can be found in the suburban neighborhood of Forest Hills. In 1979, the Polish government purchased the house at the encouragement of then-ambassador Romuald Spasowski…

Built for Tenleytown’s blue-collar residents, these double houses on Chesapeake Street stand out among the nearby single-family contemporaries. Of the four houses, two were converted into multiple units while one served as a boarding house. These…

Built in 1931, Lafayette Elementary School accommodated the rapid growth of the suburban community, Chevy Chase. One of several schools of the 1925 five-year plan, this major building campaign intended to relieve overcrowding, but additional…

In 1895, Michael Holzbeierlein (1860-1939) opened his bakery at the rear of his house at 1849 7th Street, after having worked for several years as a foreman for the Charles Schneider Baking Company at 5th and I Streets downtown. After…