Born into slavery in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Blanche Kelso Bruce (1841-1898) gained his freedom through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He dedicated much of the rest of his life to improving his country and his community, teaching at…

The physical structure of Northern Liberty Market came as a result of the 1870s development initiatives of then DC governor, Alexander Shepherd (1835-1902). An earlier incarnation of Northern Liberty Market existed in Mount Vernon Square starting in…

One of two remaining fragments of a formerly contiguous neighborhood around Mount Vernon Square, this residential and commercial enclave derives its origins from scattered growth on what was once the city’s fringe. Many of its oldest buildings are…

Dating back further than most other houses of worship in the city, Fletcher Chapel is notable as a representation of early DC's simple wood frame architecture, as well as the site of the founding meeting of the Anti-Saloon League, an important…

Founded in 1870 as the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth in the basement of the 15th Street Presbyterian Church, the school became the country's first public high school for African Americans. By 1891, the school became known as M Street…

Built between 1899 and 1902 by architects Ackerman & Ross, who had been selected in a national design competition, the Central Public Library was the first public building in DC to be built in the Beaux Arts style. The library is one of 1,679…

The Yale Steam Laundry building housed the main offices and central plant of one of the handful of laundry companies that once dominated the industry in Washington. Such “power” laundries were high-volume mechanized operations catering primarily to…