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Public Art Tour

13 Locations ~ Curated by Deirdre Darden, DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities

Recent Sites

Three sites located in Rock Creek Park mark a historic settlement of African Americans following the Civil War. Washington, DC, was established as a slave-holding district in 1790. Prior to its establishment and the urban design of Pierre L’Enfant,…

This three-story, corner residence was constructed in 1854 and is notable for its Italiante details, cast iron lacework around the porch, and scored stucco cladding. Scientist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell purchased the house for his father,…

The Hubert H. Humphrey Building exemplifies Brustalist architecture, which first developed in the 1950s, and is also a significant work by a major architect, Marcel Breuer. Brutalism is known for its use of exposed, rough concrete surfaces, heavy…

This building's historic landmark designation recognizes Youth Pride, Inc., which was located here from 1968 to 1981. Pride, Inc. was an important organization within the Black Power Movement and was funded through the War on Poverty, which had…

House of Mercy is located at the northwest edge of the Mount Pleasant Historic District on a ridge overlooking the wooded Rock Creek Valley. The building was constructed in a once rural setting, but still retains its “sanctuary” landscape.Designed…

In 1852, Congress chartered Saint Elizabeths Hospital as the Government Hospital for the Insane, with a mission of providing “the most humane care and enlightened curative treatment” for patients from the Army, Navy, and District of Columbia. The…

DC Historic Sites

DC Historic Sites is based on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, the city's official list of properties deemed worthy of recognition and protection for their contribution to the cultural heritage of the city, the nation’s capital, and the nation. DC Historic Sites was developed by the DC Preservation League, Washington's only citywide nonprofit advocate dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the historic resources of our nation's capital.

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