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
Yesterday morning, a whole slew of Hill residents, both young and old, gathered at Congressional Cemetery to pay tribute to one of the Hill’s favorite sons: John Philip Sousa. Born 159 years ago yesterday, he continues to exert a great influence on the Marine Band that he led for so many years: the band that […]
A while back, I wrote about the Statue of Freedom that tops the Capitol building. I did not, however, delve into a story that I had heard about it, nor did I do so when I wrote my book on urban legends. To be honest, I was not sure that there was any truth to it, […]
It has been a busy weekend for me, what with Halloween coming, as well as preparing for a number of book talks related to my latest book on urban legends and the historic lore of Washington, DC. So, here is a repeat of one of my favorite Capitol Hill ghost stories for you.
Certain names still bring back memories to older DC residents: Hot Shoppes, Little Tavern, and, of course, Peoples Drug Stores. All three were once ubiquitous in DC and the surrounding areas, and even today, various remnants remain, with the distinctive buildings of the Little Taverns still around and the Hot Shoppes returning to DC next […]
Given that today’s a holiday, I’m taking it easy and rerunning a piece from last year. My reason for so doing is that its subject, Clara Barton, is back in the news: the office she used after the Civil War will soon be a museum. It was found untouched recently, and there has been an […]