2022 Landmarks in Review

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 added to the National Register of Historic Places. Also in March, the National Geographic Society Headquarters, located along M Street NW between 16th and 17th streets, was designated. At the hearing, HPRB accepted nominations from both DCPL and the National Geographic Society. DCPL's nomination focused on the remarkable Edward Durell Stone-designed building at 17th and M streets NW.


In May, the beloved Uptown Theater was designated. Although the theater had always been a contributing property within the Cleveland Park Historic District, it was not individually landmarked. This nomination was co-sponsored by both DCPL and the Cleveland Park Historical Society, and added to the National Register in December. In July, the National Association for the Relief of Destitute Colored Women and Children (Merriweather Home for Children) in Pleasant Plains was designated and, thus, saved from demolition. The building has since been added to the National Register. This nomination received an incredible amount of community support, as the site has long served residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. Also in July, the Schlitz Brewing Company Washington Branch / National Geographic Society Warehouse in Eckington was designated.


Throughout the year, these other properties were officially added to the DC Inventory: Seafarers Yacht Club (February), St. Joseph's Seminary (May), Founding Church of Scientology (June), National Training School for Women and Girls Historic District (October, final name pending), and Buchanan School Plaza/Peter Bug Shoe Academy (November). Also, two amendments for existing historic sites were approved by HPRB: Lafayette Square Historic District (September) and Washington City Canal Lockkeeper’s House (October).

Buzzard Point Power Plant

Designed and built by the prominent construction firm Stone & Webster, the Buzzard Point Power Plant stands as an emblem of technological and artistic advancement in Southwest Washington. While various individuals owned the property and attempted…

Seafarers Yacht Club

Established in 1945 by mariner Lewis Thomas Green, the Seafarers Yacht Club became one of the first community spaces for black boaters in Washington, DC. Green began building his own boats around the late 1930s to early 1940s, in addition to his full…

Nixon-Mounsey House

Designed by William D. Nixon, a self-taught African American architect who was also a social and civil rights activist in DC, this private residence is a notable Art Deco style building in the Palisades neighborhood. The home is significant for both…

National Geographic Society Headquarters

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…

Uptown Theater

The Uptown Theater is prominently located along Connecticut Avenue NW in the Cleveland Park Historic District. Designed by John J. Zink – a notable and prolific movie theater architect from Baltimore – the theater’s Art Deco/Moderne design is…

St. Joseph's Seminary

St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart was one of many Roman Catholic institutions and organizations that established their presence in the Brookland area in the late-19th century and into the 20th century, when the area was still largely rural and…

Founding Church of Scientology, Washington, DC

This row house at 1812 19th Street NW is one of three properties around the nation closely connected to L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology (the other two properties are in New Jersey and Arizona). Here, at this property within the Dupont…

Buchanan School Plaza (Peter Bug Shoe Academy)

While the Buchanan School Plaza in the Capitol Hill neighborhood has shrunk greatly since its construction, the original playground and park facilities built in 1968 represented major changes in playground design, concepts of play, and urban…