Old Naval Observatory (National Observatory; Naval Museum of Hygiene; Naval Medical School): As the original National Observatory, this building was the home of many notable scientific achievements in its day.

2016-02-18T20:08:12+00:00

The original National Observatory was authorized by President Tyler in 1842 and completed in 1844 according to plans prepared by Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss. The observatory was the site of notable advances in astronomy and mathematics, and is associated with its first superintendent, Matthew Fontaine Maury, who supervised the publication of numerous volumes of oceanographical charts, and was the author of the first oceanographical textbook. The observatory installed a new transit circle instrument by the end of the Civil War. The domed south wing housed the 26-inch Great Equatorial telescope, the largest of its day, installed in 1873. In 1877, astronomer Asaph Hall discovered the moons of Mars with this instrument.

From its inception, the observatory was authorized to calculate and keep official time, which was indicated by the dropping of a time ball from the flagstaff each day at noon. By 1878, poor atmospheric conditions in Foggy Bottom led Congress to authorize relocation to a new site, and in 1893, the observatory moved to its new home on Massachusetts Avenue. After its relocation, the property was transferred to the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to serve as a Museum of Hygiene, and later the Naval Medical School.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

National Register: October 15, 1966

National Historic Landmark: January 12, 1965

For more (including 8 images) view the original article

American Red Cross National Headquarters: The American Red Cross, the nation's largest official relief organization, is headquartered on this property.

2015-07-08T20:26:51+00:00

The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1900. The building was built as a memorial to the women of the Civil War thanks to U.S. and private funds. It exemplifies the McMillan Plan's emphasis on development facing the Ellipse.

Built in 1915-1917 with designs of architects A. Breck Trowbridge and Goodhue Livingston, the Red Cross headquarters features Classical Revival facades of white marble with front and side porticoes, Corinthian columns, a balustraded attic, a hipped roof, and tall chimneys. The interior includes a monumental stair hall, assembly hall with Tiffany stained glass, and a museum.

The complementary north building was built 1928‑1929; the west building was built in 1931.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

National Register: October 15, 1966

National Historic Landmark: June 23, 1965

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

DC Historic Sites

Old Naval Observatory (National Observatory; Naval Museum of Hygiene; Naval Medical School): As the original National Observatory, this building was the home of many notable scientific achievements in its day.

American Red Cross National Headquarters: The American Red Cross, the nation's largest official relief organization, is headquartered on this property.