All Tours: 61
Tours
Historic Downtown and Chinatown
47 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This tour explores the diverse collection of buildings, memorials, and monuments located in Washington’s historic commercial core. Downtown Washington is a large area stretching west from Judiciary Square to Farragut Square and Foggy Bottom, and north to Massachusetts Avenue NW and Dupont Circle. It is not necessarily a clearly defined area, and Washingtonians may have differing opinions on where Downtown's edges are. Regardless, Downtown is known for its historic sites (most notably, the White…
Mid-Century Modernism in Southwest
7 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Southwest is full of mid-century modernist architectural gems. These include Arena Stage, River Park, and I.M. Pei's Town Center East. However, the neighborhood also gained notoriety as an early site of urban renewal. Follow along to learn details about these interesting sites, and gain new insight into the neighborhood's history.
This walking tour covers 2 miles and will take approximately 50 minutes to complete.
Capitol Hill Historic District & Emerald Street Historic District
23 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
With 8,000 contributing buildings, the Capitol Hill Historic District is the largest of DC's historic districts. In fact, it includes 2x as many historic properties as the next largest historic district, Georgetown. The historic district — stretching from the US Capitol Building on the west to Lincoln Park on the east, and from Union Station on the north to Navy Yard on the south — was established in 1973 and has been expanded three times: in 1976, 2003, and 2015. Just northeast of the historic…
African American Schools
11 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Explore the evolution of African American education and school architecture in Washington by visiting ten schoolhouses. The tour begins with schools constructed after emancipation and concludes with a school that is nationally significant for its role in the U.S. Supreme Court case Bolling v. Sharpe, which was decided the same day as the four public school desegregation cases combined in Brown v. Board of Education.
This driving tour covers 15 miles and will take approximately 90 minutes to…
U Street & Shaw: Before and Since 1968
11 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
On April 4, 1968, the news of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination shocked African American communities across the United States. In Washington, DC, shock and sadness were accompanied by anger, as a large gathering of community members turned violent. Over the course of four days, protesters burned, looted, and destroyed buildings in the neighborhoods of U Street and Shaw. The National Guard was summoned by President Johnson to restore order. By April 8th, Washington attempted to…
Early and Industrial Georgetown
8 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
The port of Georgetown was founded in 1751. Established 40 years prior to the decision to make Washington, DC the nation's capital, Georgetown is the city's oldest neighborhood. Throughout much of its history, Georgetown was a mixed-use commercial and industrial center, surrounded by housing for residents of all income levels.
In the mid-18th century, Georgetown was little more than a trading post where tobacco farmers sold their crops. The Revolutionary War changed the town into a depot for…
The Campaign Against Covenants in Bloomingdale
14 Locations ~ Curated by Prologue DC, LLC
This tour features key sites in the history of black homeseekers’ efforts to rent or buy whites-only housing. Discover why Bloomingdale’s premier architectural corridor was also a racial barrier, and how civil rights attorneys chipped away at this dividing line in the 1920s-1940s.
During the first half of the 20th century, Bloomingdale’s white developers and residents used racially restrictive deed covenants to prohibit the sale or rental of property to African Americans. When Bloomingdale…
African American Civil Rights
109 Locations ~ Curated by DC Historic Preservation Office
The 20th Century Civil Rights Tour consists of historic sites in the District of Columbia that tell the stories of individuals, groups, and institutions associated with the struggle for African American civil rights. As the nation’s capital, Washington was the site of seminal civil rights events and was home to people who played pivotal roles in both the national civil rights movement and in local campaigns for racial equality.
The 20th Century African American Civil Rights Tour is currently…
Saint Elizabeths Hospital
14 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
The campus of Saint Elizabeths Hospital is sited pleasantly atop a wooded ridge in the Anacostia Hills. It is a National Historic Landmark whose story and impact on mental health treatment in the United States can be read in the historic buildings and landscapes that cover its 350 acres.
Prior to the 1840s, when Dorothea Lynde Dix first began advocating for better housing conditions for people suffering from mental illness, mental illness treatment and care was at best haphazard and at worst…
Women in History DowntownDC Callbox Tour
8 Locations ~ Curated by DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID)
When the DowntownDC BID announced the callbox design competition in 2017, the Charles Bergen team saw an opportunity to right a historic wrong: the exclusion of women from outdoor public art. Although female figures abound in Washington, almost all are allegorical and less than a handful depict people who actually lived. Team historian Mara Cherkasky chose women with ties to Downtown, carefully including individuals from various eras and walks of life. Over two summers, sculptor Charles Bergen…
Riding the C51? (From Anacostia Historic District to Tenleytown)
48 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
The C51 Metrobus route connects Southeast Washington to Northwest Washington — specifically, the Anacostia and Tenleytown neighborhoods.
The C51 starts its journey in the Anacostia Historic District, which was one of DC's first historic districts, dating back to 1973. The historic district famously includes Frederick Douglass's home, Cedar Hill, which encompasses expansive views of the city and is now a National Historic Site. After crossing the Anacostia River, the bus moves northeast along…
DC Firehouses
19 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
DC Firehouses not only reflect the geographic expansion of the capital, but also the city as a place of diverse and vibrant communities.
A boom in the construction of municipal buildings took place during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, the most critical years of the City Beautiful Movement; included in this wave of new municipal buildings were sixteen firehouses, constructed between 1897 to 1916. The development of the DC Fire Department supplied…
Gone, But Not Forgotten
20 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
DC is a city with many layers of history, as illustrated by the built environment's many architectural styles. As the city grew and changed, so did its buildings, many of which were altered or simply demolished. Sometimes architectural tastes were a factor, but often times economic pressures brought about demolition. Because of this, Washington's built environment is a mix of both old and new construction in a variety of styles and materials.
Before the 1960s, historic preservation laws were…
Preserving Chocolate City
7 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 1964, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts established the Joint Committee on Landmarks (JCL). Tasked with creating the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, the JCL identified and documented over two hundred historic landmarks significant to the District’s cultural and aesthetic heritage. As the decade went on, preservation movements took hold of other major cities across the country, resulting in the creation of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.…
Latino Heritage Tour
12 Locations ~ Curated by Shae Corey and Zachary Burt (DC Preservation League), and Patrick Scallen
Urban buildings live many different lives—rented space is chameleon-like, changing color to match its surroundings and fill external needs. New communities create spaces that reflect their cultural heritage, religious values and personal desires. The legacy of DC’s Hispanic community can be seen in the businesses, organizations, and public spaces in the contiguous neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, and Columbia Heights. DC’s Latino community is a prime example of the collective…
National Historic Landmarks: Lafayette Square & 16th Street
13 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
16th Street NW passes near many of Washington, D.C.’s National Historic Landmarks (NHLs). This tour encompasses the route of presidents, protestors, diplomats, and local Washingtonians, as it stretches from Lafayette Square and the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park. Consider how these sites connect to the story of America, and what nationally-significant sites along the way may be missing. This tour can be completed by walking, public transport, or car. It…
National Historic Landmarks: Sheridan-Kalorama & Dupont Circle
8 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Have you ever wondered about the residents of the beautiful homes in Sheridan-Kalorama and Dupont Circle? In this tour of Washington, D.C.’s National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), you can learn about Andrew W. Mellon’s apartment building, famed ornithologist Elliot Coues, and the house President Woodrow Wilson moved into after he left the White House. All of the sites on this tour have been deemed notable in the course of American history, due to important individuals, events, or organizations.…
National Historic Landmarks: African American History
12 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Recognized for years as “Chocolate City,” and standing as the first major city in America to hold a majority Black population, the District of Columbia contains a wealth of African American history and culture.
From its early days as a slave-trading capital to its transition during the Civil War into a refuge for the formerly enslaved, Washington, D.C. has played a significant role in the African American freedom struggle. As the seat of the federal government, the District has witnessed the…
National Historic Landmarks: Capitol Hill
9 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Capitol Hill is well-known as the neighborhood of Speakers of the House, United States Senators, and Supreme Court Justices. Its long and varied history has contributed to its designation as a historic district, and has enabled numerous properties to become nationally-recognized landmarks.
This tour is a collection of National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., From Navy Yard to the Supreme Court, this tour explores historic properties with…
National Historic Landmarks: Historic Downtown Washington
14 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Downtown Washington is a hub of activity—and has been since the establishment of D.C. as the nation’s capital city in 1800. This neighborhood has provided the geographic link between the executive branch, the White House, and the legislative branch, Capitol Hill. Therefore, with its proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue, the longtime route of the inaugural parade, it has attracted many important institutions, including the Treasury Building, the Old Patent Office (now National Portrait Gallery), and…
Capital City Slavery
25 Locations ~ Curated by Shae Corey, DC Preservation League [edited by Zachary Burt]
Data recorded in 2020 determined that only 2% of 95,000 designated sites on the National Register of Historic Places focused on the African American experience. This percentage reflects a critical gap in historic preservation: sustained neglect of African American properties, particularly those associated with slavery. Very few sites on the National Register describe or identify histories of enslavement. Even famous examples of national register nomination sites, such as George Washington’s…
2021 Landmarks in Review
10 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
2021 was another successful year for historic preservation in DC. In February, Colony Hill became the District’s 37th neighborhood historic district (with its own design guidelines), while in October, the long-standing Anacostia Historic District was expanded for the first time since its designation in 1978. The Anacostia Historic District Boundary Expansion was submitted by DCPL, Historic Anacostia Block Association, and Historic Anacostia Preservation Society.
The DCPL and owner-submitted…
District Schools & Universities
57 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Not only is Washington, DC, the national capital and the home of the federal government, but from its beginning the city has also been a center of public and private education. Today, residents and visitors alike can visit several university campuses, and see numerous primary and secondary school buildings throughout the District's neighborhoods. Many of the school buildings, while still serving an educational function, have changed with the city to meet new needs. Other school buildings, like…
DC's Landmark Libraries
7 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This tour covers Washington's libraries that have been historically-designated over the years. Some of the libraries on this tour are internationally-recognized places of research, such as the Library of Congress and Folger Shakespeare Library, with their large and distinctive collections. In addition to these well-known institutions, this tour will highlight some of the public libraries found throughout the city's neighborhoods.
These library branches serve Washingtonians on a daily basis,…
Postwar Modernism in Washington, DC
16 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Despite being a city of memorials, museums, and government buildings designed in grand and traditional architectural styles that speak to our nation's history and democracy, Washington, DC, has plenty of Modern architecture. Visitors may notice this Modernism while using the Metro, with its stations and their famous vaulted, concrete ceilings. The system, which first opened from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut Square in 1976 (the Red Line), was designed in a Brutalist style by architect Harry…
District Theaters
14 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
The Star Theater, opened in 1906, constituted the first motion picture theater in Washington, DC. Audiences fell in love with similar small neighborhood theaters in the following years; between 1909 and 1914, the number of movie theaters in the District increased from eleven to sixty-nine screens. The 9th Street NW theater district (from Pennsylvania Avenue north to Mount Vernon Square) housed most of these early cinemas, yet subsequent advancements in technology led to better movies, bustling…
Historically Designated Interiors
24 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Historic preservation is almost always focused on the protection of a building or a structure's exterior. Because of this flexibility, residents of historic districts freely remodel the interiors of their homes while external facades are saved from the wrecking ball and incorporated into new construction. Nonetheless, DC's historic preservation regulations allow for the designation of "building interiors." Therefore, interiors are occasionally designated for their historic and/or architectural…
Women's Suffrage in Washington D.C.
15 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
As the nation’s capital, the District has long been an epicenter of political activism and cultural progression. For the women’s suffrage movement, D.C. quickly became a central arena for collaborative meetings, government lobbying, and public demonstrations. Women’s suffrage groups established headquarters in the city to develop strategic plans intended to increase women’s visibility in the political arena and strengthen the collective bonds of suffragists across the United States. The sites…
Looking Back at the Joint Committee on Landmarks: A Selection of Sites
15 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 1978, the DC Council passed the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act. This law established the current process of design review and historic designation, with landmarks and districts designated by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. However, Washington, DC has a rich historic preservation tradition that predates this law.
In 1950, the Old Georgetown Act was passed by the US Congress. This law created the…
Food and Drink in the District
17 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Since the founding of the District, food and drink have almost been as important as politics. Two examples: Rhodes Tavern, which is no longer standing, is associated with the early days of the City of Washington, its governance, and politics; City Tavern in Georgetown played an important role in the early days of that once-independent port city and was linked to Founding Fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. And certainly, many delicious meals — and tasty drinks! — have led to the success of…
D.C. Apartment Buildings
20 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In Washington, D.C., significant historical events such as the Civil War and the Panic of 1873 limited major construction and growth within the city. However, following the Civil War, and then again during the interwar period between the world wars, apartment living became a staple for many residents of the capital city, despite the initial resistance by many to adopt apartment-style living. Resentment ranged from aesthetic distaste to the social implications of sharing residential spaces with…
DCPL-Sponsored Landmarks and Historic Districts
151 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
As Washington, DC’s citywide historic preservation nonprofit, DCPL has nominated a variety of historic landmarks and districts over the past five-decades in an effort to preserve, protect, and enhance the historic and built environment of the city. From restaurants and houses to office buildings and historic districts, DCPL has strived to ensure the preservation and promotion of DC’s history through its physical landmarks.
In 1971, the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, a magnificent…
Commemorative Monuments and Memorials of DC
17 Locations ~ Curated by Fontana Micucci and Zachary Burt, DC Preservation League
This Commemorative Memorials and Monuments tour might seem self-explanatory, but the sites on this tour were curated with certain parameters in mind. First, the monuments chosen here focus on individuals that weren’t directly involved in war - the Civil War monuments and American Revolution statuary already address these (these sites will be listed at the bottom of this tour route for reference).
For this same reason, this tour does not include war-themed monuments or memorials. Instead, it…
Abstract Sculptures of DC
19 Locations ~ Curated by Fontana Micucci and Zachary Burt, DC Preservation League
Each year, Washington, DC, hosts millions of visitors from around the world. These tourists, along with the District’s 700,000 residents, wander and explore the city’s numerous streets, parks, and other public spaces. With so many people out and about, outdoor art has been installed along the city’s streets, and within its parks and plazas, enhancing the city’s landscape. This tour seeks to highlight some of the public abstract artwork found throughout DC, from large metal sculptures in the…
2022 Landmarks in Review
11 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 2022, 10 new landmarks and one new historic district were designated in DC. Of these 11 new designations, six were sponsored or co-sponsored by DCPL! In February, the Buzzard Point Power Plant in Southwest, which was nominated by DCPL in 2016, was added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. In March, the stunning Nixon-Mounsey House was historically designated by HPRB. This Streamline Moderne style home in The Palisades was nominated by both DCPL and the homeowners, and it has since been…
Exploring DC's Go-Go and Punk Music Scenes
15 Locations ~ Curated by Fontana Micucci and Zachary Burt, DC Preservation League
Despite not being a major music hub like Los Angeles or New York City, DC’s music scene has created its own styles, trends, and sounds for decades. Famous musicians and bands alike have found a home in DC, blending multiple genres on one track. However, few musical movements have swept the city like go-go and punk rock, and only one has the honor of being named DC’s official music. Throughout the late 20th century, both of these movements captured the essence of what it meant to live in the…
DC's Landmarks of Transportation
18 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
From the beginning, DC has been shaped by new technologies and advancements in transportation. Early on, the District — specifically, Georgetown — was the starting point for the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal, an important linkage to the Ohio River Valley and points farther west. The canal, which follows the Potomac River, is now a National Historical Park and a popular destination for Washingtonians seeking to explore and enjoy both history and nature.
Like other American cities in the 19th…
Finding Style in DC: Navigating DC’s Shopping Scene
17 Locations ~ Curated by Fontana Micucci, DC Preservation League
Nowadays, it is surprising when a common product isn’t available on the store shelf. Most grocery stores, supermarkets, and big box stores have a wide variety of offerings in a multitude of options – a level of convenience that the modern consumer takes for granted. Even when a brick-and-mortar store doesn’t quite have what you need, the product can be purchased online with just a few clicks, and delivered within a couple days or even within hours.
This wasn’t always the case. In fact, the…
Sacred Spaces in DC
64 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This tour provides a comprehensive list of historically-designated religious properties in the District. These sacred spaces – including churches, meeting houses, synagogues, temples, seminaries, and cathedrals – are significant for their history, architecture, and the famous individuals who have been associated with these sites. From presidential congregants to political and social activists, DC’s religious spaces have supported residents and visitors alike, famous or not. These spaces have…
Riding the D70? (From Chevy Chase Circle to Farragut Square)
48 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Ambling up and down one of DC’s leading thoroughfares, the D70 Metrobus’s path along Connecticut Avenue covers major ground in the northwest section of the city. In the years following World War I, Connecticut Avenue developed into a major residential and commercial corridor, with high-style apartment buildings popping up along the avenue. Residents were able to move farther away from downtown and commute using public transportation – first on streetcars, then on buses, and eventually on…
DC's LGBTQ History
13 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
When the Founding Fathers established Washington, DC, as a federal territory in 1790, the fledgling government criminalized homosexuality as the British had. A desire for uniformity and a “normalcy” defined by American officials resulted in numerous repressions and segregations through ensuing centuries, targeting those who did not fit into a traditional family structure. The strictness of gender roles and gender identities in the United States, combined with a genuine fear of “divergent” sexual…
Finding Asian American History in Washington, DC
19 Locations ~ Curated by The 1882 Foundation in collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the University of Maryland Historic Preservation Program
These highlighted sites are among those researched for DC’s first Asian American Historical Context Statement, a project produced by the 1882 Foundation for the DC Historic Preservation Office and the DC Preservation League through funding from the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Fund.
These sites provide only a small glimpse into the range of places where Asian Americans have lived, gathered, and built community in the city for more than a century—against the…
Mid-Century Neighborhoods Tour
9 Locations ~ Curated by The DC Historic Sites Team
Washington, DC's suburban neighborhoods are largely defined by their early to mid-20th century detached dwellings reflecting a wide variety of Revival-style buildings from the popular Colonial Revival styles to more picturesque Tudor and Mediterranean-style residences. Within these traditional neighborhood settings, however, are pockets of Mid-Century houses that were either privately commissioned or part of speculative developments. Largely constructed between the late 1940s up through the…
Public Art Tour
13 Locations ~ Curated by Deirdre Darden, DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities
"Simply put public art is art in public spaces. The term 'public art' may conjure images of historic bronze statues of a soldier on horseback in a park. Today, public art can take a wide range of forms, sizes, and scales—and can be temporary or permanent. It often interprets the history of the place, its people, and perhaps addresses a social or environmental issue. Public art can include murals, sculpture, memorials, integrated architectural or landscape architectural work, community art,…
Following Florida Avenue: The Original Boundary of the City of Washington
28 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
The 1791 L'Enfant Plan of the City of Washington, DC, shows a tidy and intricate grid of streets and diagonal avenues, with squares, rectangles, and circles at many of the major intersections. The green space of the future National Mall and President's Park is also visible. The plan, which is centered between the Potomac River and Eastern Branch (Anacostia River), narrows as the two waterways meet at Greenleaf's Point, the future home of the Washington Arsenal and, later, Fort McNair. The plan…
DC Architects To Know Series: Part One
28 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This interactive map shows the buildings designed by the five architects featured in Part One of the DC Architects To Know Series, which can be found on the DC Preservation League website. These buildings are historically-designated and are on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and/or the National Register of Historic Places.
Romulus C. Archer (1890-1968): Saint Paul AUMP Church
— Archer was the second African American architect registered in DC.
James G. Hill (c. 1839-1913): Auditor's…
DC Architects To Know Series: Part Two
37 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This interactive map shows the buildings designed by the five architects featured in Part Two of the DC Architects To Know Series, which can be found on the DC Preservation League website. These buildings are historically-designated and are on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and/or the National Register of Historic Places.
Albert Cassell (1895 - 1969): Howard University's Founders Library, Mayfair Mansions, Prince Hall Masonic Temple
— Cassell served as Howard University's official…
DC Architects To Know Series: Part Three
30 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This interactive map shows the buildings designed by the five architects featured in Part Three of the DC Architects To Know Series, which can be found on the DC Preservation League website. These buildings are historically-designated and are on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and/or the National Register of Historic Places.
Adolf Cluss (1825 - 1905): Smithsonian Castle (reconstruction), Franklin School, Old Masonic Temple, Sumner School, Eastern Market, Old Patent Office (reconstruction…
Daring Geometric Design: Art Deco in Washington, D.C.
32 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Art Deco, a term coined in the 1960s, describes a type of architecture that was popular from the mid-1920s until the late 1930s and early 1940s. When discussing Art Deco, many people think of famous landmarks like the Chrysler Building in New York City, but the style influenced many building types from private homes and apartment buildings to bus terminals, bridges, and movie theaters. Additionally, the style is broad and includes specific examples described as “High Art Deco,” “Moderne,”…
Historic Banks and Financial Institutions of DC
22 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
Financial institutions played an important role in the history of Washington, DC. Banks, building and loan associations, trust companies, and securities all worked in tandem to establish a sound economy in DC. While DC is known as the home of the federal government, its historical financial institutions are also important to the city’s history.
Prior to introducing the history of the financial institutions that called DC home, there are several different definitions that will be fleshed out…
2023 Landmarks in Review
11 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 2023, six new landmarks and one new historic district were designated in Washington. The DC Preservation League nominated two of these landmarks: Chevy Chase Savings Bank and Northeast Savings Bank. In January, Chevy Chase Savings Bank, co-sponsored with Historic Chevy Chase DC, was designated by HPRB. The bank, designed by Arthur B. Heaton and completed in 1921, has since been added to the National Register. In October, Northeast Savings Bank, co-sponsored with Capitol Hill Restoration…
M Street High School: Where Trailblazers Thrived
22 Locations ~ Curated by M Street Center
This tour explores the rich history of M Street High School, a historic landmark at 128 M Street NW, and how this leading school’s administration, faculty and students shaped DC. M Street High School, which operated between 1891 and 1916, before relocating to the newly constructed Dunbar High School, served as a crucible of knowledge and inspiration for influential figures in African American and American history.
On this journey through DC, explore connections to the school's trailblazers:…
Lingering on the Palate: The Ghosts of the DC Food Scene
12 Locations ~ Curated by Isabelle Houseman and DC Preservation League
Foods that bring familiar comfort change from year to year and decade to decade as residents of the nation’s capital bear witness to the ebb-and-flow of culinary tastes. Lingering on the Palate is a tour that will take you through some of the iconic restaurants that once peppered their way throughout the city’s neighborhoods and history, highlighting some of their lasting, inspiring dishes that can be recalled throughout generations.
From taverns to power lunches, the history of food in DC is…
Cultural Landscapes of DC
31 Locations ~ Curated by Claire Fergusson and DC Preservation League
What do Langston Golf Course, Kalorama Park and Archaeological Site, and Gallaudet College Historic District all have in common?
They can all be considered cultural landscapes within Washington, DC. This tour will show that many historic sites – including historic landmarks and historic districts – within the District can be classified as cultural landscapes. The definition of a cultural landscape is broad and has been interpreted differently by preservationists. The National Park Service…
2024 Landmarks in Review
12 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 2024, nine historic landmarks were added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. The DC Preservation League (DCPL) is proud to have nominated six of these new landmarks.
In April, the Old Chinese Legation in Washington Heights was designated by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). This nomination was submitted by DCPL and co-sponsored by the property owner, The Chinese Embassy Condo. That same month, the Board approved a DCPL-sponsored nomination amendment of additional…
Sports and Recreation in DC
29 Locations ~ Curated by Claire Fergusson and DC Preservation League
Sports and recreation began to thrive in 19th-century Washington, DC, as more residents started joining clubs and spending their down time in public green spaces. Industrialization caused a decrease in working hours, which gave people in the United States in the 19th century more time for hobbies and leisure activities. Since then, Washingtonians have enjoyed a wide range of activities, including baseball, bicycling, boating, bowling, canoeing, football, golf, horseback riding, swimming,…
Historic Chinatown: Preserving Identity, Embracing Change
6 Locations ~ Curated by AIA|DC Historic Resources Committee (HRC) in collaboration with the AIA|DC Asian American Designers Union (AADU), 1882 Foundation, and the DC Preservation League
As one of the city’s most culturally rich and historically significant neighborhoods, Chinatown has long balanced the preservation of its architectural and cultural identity with the pressures of redevelopment and adaptive reuse. With recent conversations around the potential reimagining of key buildings, the area is once again at a pivotal crossroads.
Curated by the AIA|DC Historic Resources Committee (HRC) in collaboration with the AIA|DC Asian American Designers Union (AADU), 1882…
2025 Landmarks in Review
10 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
In 2025, seven historic landmarks were added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites — five of which were sponsored or co-sponsored by the DC Preservation League (DCPL). In addition to these five landmarks, DCPL sponsored a nomination amendment to the Mount Pleasant Historic District designation, and co-sponsored, with the Art Deco Society of Washington, an amendment to the Greyhound Bus Terminal designation.
In February, the John Joseph Earley House at 1710 Lamont Street NW in Mount Pleasant…
Historic Farms and Estates of Washington County
30 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This tour explores the historic farms and estates located within former Washington County — an area outside of the original City of Washington and Georgetown (i.e., generally north of Boundary Street, now Florida Avenue, and east of the Anacostia River). Washington County, Washington City, and Georgetown were consolidated in 1871, and comprise the entirety of modern DC. Today, through these historic landmarks, remnants of a previously pastoral way of life can still be found within the bounds of…
Cemeteries of DC
10 Locations ~ Curated by DC Preservation League
This tour explores the cemeteries and burial grounds around the District.
Rock Creek Cemetery, the first cemetery in what would become the District of Columbia, was founded in 1719 and originally served as the burial ground of a small Anglican chapel. Still active today, Rock Creek Cemetery is now open to all religions.
Another burial ground founded prior to the official establishment of the District is the Montgomery Street Methodist Church cemetery. Though founded in 1772, burials did…
Haunted History of DC
9 Locations ~ Curated by The DC Historic Sites Team
Washington, DC, is one of the nation’s most historic cities, with neighborhoods like Georgetown and Capitol Hill dating back to the 18th and early 19th centuries. For the past 236 years, since the city’s founding in 1790, residents and visitors alike have shared stories and legends of unexplained happenings. From the site of Abraham Lincoln’s death, to cemeteries and buildings that predate the country itself, the District is full of historic places and the folklore that comes with them.
Head…