On this Emancipation Day it is appropriate to look at the story of one man who was freed because of Lincoln’s signing of the D.C. Emancipation Act on April 16, 1862. His name was Philip Reid. While you may not know him, you see his work every time you look at the Capitol. I have […]
A friend (OK, actually The Hill is Home’s own Maria Helena Carey) asked about the odd columns in the National Gallery’s sculpture garden. Made of dingy sandstone, they match the huts that sit on Constitution Avenue, on the Ellipse, and at the corners of 15th and 17th Streets. As it turns out, these do have […]
This morning, after having watched the rest of the city get their chance to see Pope Francis, it was finally Capitol Hill’s turn. As a special invited guest of Congress, he addressed a joint session. The tickets to be inside the chamber quickly became some of the hottest ones in town. Instead, like thousands of others, The […]
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 […]
Only in DC. I find myself saying that a lot. Only in DC do you see so many TVs in bars tuned to CNN. Only in DC do you have to plan your commute home around motorcades and protests. Only in DC is there a drinking game to the SOTU a normal thing. And Only […]