Robert Pohl worked for many years as a computer programmer but recovered from that and became a full time stay-at-home dad. With his son now in school, he has expanded his horizons and become a self-taught historian. He has written books about his house as well as Emancipation in the District of Columbia. You can reach Robert at Robert[at]thehillishome.com
The 1850s were a quiet time for the Washington Navy Yard. With no wars looming, there was no pressing need for new ships. Nonetheless, new technologies did drive some urgency, and thus in April 1854, six new steam frigates were authorized to go along with the three that had been previously built. The new frigates […]
For the past couple of years, the Anacostia Watershed Society has partnered with local schools to help with the shad population in the Anacostia River. By protecting the eggs during their gestation and hatching, a far larger percentage of the eggs turn into hatchlings, jump-starting the fish’s recovery in the river. As it turns out, […]
I recently had a conversation with some fellow tour guides about the changes to the Capitol in the 1950s. I was going to send them a link to this, but could not find it on our web site. So here’s either a rerun, or a first run, article. The United States Capitol has been a […]
In researching the history of the Navy Yard, I really wanted to find a connection between it and the oldest and arguably most famous ship in the Navy: Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution. While several other ships of the Constitution’s vintage were parked at the Navy Yard for a number of years in the early […]
As I slowly make my way through the history of the Navy Yard, I have come across many firsts for that establishment – including the first proper ship to be built there. Although the Washington Navy Yard was started to build one of the frigates that had been authorized in 1799, the end of the […]