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
I have previously written about the bridges that cross the Anacostia River, but long before these were built, there were other ways of crossing the river. Today we will look at one method that had considerable importance in the early years of the District of Columbia.
Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed a building in the background of last week’s column. No, not the Capitol: The building marked “McDowell & Sons Steam Elevator Grain and Linseed Meal.” Yes, there used to be a feed warehouse a few blocks from the Capitol. Today, we’ll look at the story of this unlikely business.Samuel C. […]
Last week we looked at the first Capitol Park, which existed for two years in the 1880s just north of the Capitol. Today, we will look at its follower, just a couple blocks further north.
A while back, I came across an article in the Washington Post with a list of baseball stadiums that have been in D.C. over the years. Some, like Griffith Stadium, I knew about. Others, like Capitol Park (or Capitol Grounds, as the refer to it) I decidedly did not. The fact that it was located […]
Last week, we looked at the origins of the name given to the Civil War hospital a mile east of the Capitol, and found that, contrary to legend, it was not named by the soldiers recuperating there. Today, we will try to find the origin of the legend – as well as another, similar, story.