Pershing Park, which sits in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 14th and 15th streets, is a Modernist park plaza designed by landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg and constructed in 1980 to 1981. The construction of the plaza in the early 1980s grew out of efforts to beautify Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1960s and 1970s. This beautification and redevelopment was carried out by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC), which operated from 1972 to 1996. Simultaneously, Congress authorized construction of a General John J. Pershing Memorial in 1956 and 1966.
In 1974, the PADC’s redevelopment plan was released and within in it proposed six new plazas and parks fronting Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition to Pershing Park was Freedom (Western) Plaza – directly to the east of Pershing Park – John Marshall Park, Meade Plaza, Market Square, and Indiana Plaza. All six of the new public spaces were designed by prominent architects and landscape architects of the Modern and Postmodern variety.
At the east end of Pershing Park is the General John J. Pershing Memorial, which was designed by architect Wallace K. Harrison, and memorializes General John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces of World War I. The memorial features a bronze statue sculpted by Robert White and installed in 1983.
Initially successful, Pershing Park became neglected over the years. At the same time, Congress authorized construction of the World War I Memorial in 2014. The park was eventually slated for redevelopment and, in 2021, the park reopened following a rehabilitation. Despite some alterations to the plaza, Friedberg’s original design is largely intact.
Pershing Park now includes a new World War I Memorial on the west end of the public space, across the plaza from the original Pershing Memorial. The most prominent element of the new memorial, designed by architect Joe Weishaar, is A Soldier’s Journey, a sculpture by Sabin Howard, and the Peace Fountain. This bronze sculpture, at 58-feet long, features 38 human figures, including “The Everyman” soldier. The soldier moves through five “vignettes” of World War I: Departure, Initiation, Ordeal, Aftermath, and Return. With the installation of the sculpture in 2024, the national World War I Memorial was officially completed nearly 100 years after the DC World War Memorial (1931) on the National Mall.
National Register: August 6, 2025
]]>Anacostia Park’s history is steeped in the relationship between the land and the people that shape it. From the Native peoples, such as the Nacotchtanks who lived for more than 10,000 years along the Anacostia River and adjacent to the land that would eventually become Anacostia Park, to the land’s importance to the planning of the national capital city, Anacostia Park contains many layers of history. The land on either side of the Anacostia River was the ideal location for industry as early as the 1790s, though it would not be until the early 20th century that the land would be reclaimed and turned into the riverside parks Washingtonians know today. Anacostia Park is a communal and recreational space that has been witness to many different eras of history. Also along the Anacostia River and near the park is the Washington Navy Yard, which would play a key role in the War of 1812 when the yards were ordered to be burned down to prevent the British capturing ships and important supplies. Established in the mid-1910s, and now an expansive landscape with many recreational opportunities for Washingtonians, Anacostia Park contains Civil War era fortifications. For example, Fort Greble, which once stood within the park’s boundaries, was constructed to guard the gateway to Washington.
The park is over 1,200 acres and approximately 5 miles long, as it stretches the length of the Anacostia River from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge to the District/Maryland state line. Key places found within the park, which is managed by the National Park Service, include Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Langston Golf Course, and the Anacostia Park Pavilion, which provides space for roller skating and special events.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
(Omitted on March 7, 1968)
Eligible for National Register of Historic Places
]]>The Sewall–Belmont House National Historic Site served as the headquarters for the National Woman's Party (NWP) for nearly 90 years, starting in 1929. Originally founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns to rally women to support the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the NWP remained a major force in organizing women for political action, including for the passage of an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This house served as the NWP's headquarters during a critical period for the organization, following its purchase by NWP benefactress and cofounder Alva Vanderbilt Belmont. The organization named their headquarters the Alva Belmont House in her honor. It was also declared the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in 2016.
The house was originally built in 1800, incorporating a two-story house from 1750. It burned in 1814 and was rebuilt in 1820. "Sewall" refers to Robert Sewall, the man for whom the house was originally built between 1799 and 1800.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: June 16, 1972
Natonal Register (Additional Documentation): September 5, 2025
National Historic Site: May 30, 1974
National Historic Landmark: May 30, 1974
National Monument: April 12, 2016
]]>This row house is notable for its significance as the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and as the DC residence of Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), educator and civil rights leader. The row house transitioned from a single-family home for the upper-middle class in the late-nineteenth century to a boarding house and shop in the early twentieth century. The house was the headquarters of the NCNW from the 1940s to the 1960s. Comprised of fifteen rooms, one kitchen, and two bathrooms, the Council House served as the headquarters for NCNW, Mary McLeod Bethune’s residence until 1949, and guest accommodations for out-of-town visitors.
In January 1966, a fire damaged the Council House. While the building’s core remained intact, extensive water and smoke damage forced the NCNW to relocate. For nearly eleven years, the house lay dormant. It was not until 1975, when the Council House was listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, that the NCNW successfully raised funds needed to renovate and restore both the main and carriage houses. In the fall of 1977, the Bethune Historical Development Project began, and in November 1979, the home reopened to the public as a museum and archives for the collection, preservation, and interpretation of Black women’s history. Today, the headquarters still function as a museum and archive, administered by the National Park Service. Each transition exemplifies the shifting nature of the Logan Circle area. During the past century, this neighborhood changed from an affluent, nearly all-white community to an enclave of the Black elite, and finally, to a racially diverse district. Bethune’s association with the house made it a center of activity in the 1940s as a meeting place for the NCNW and prominent figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Church Terrell.
DC Inventory: May 9, 1975
National Register: October 15, 1982
National Historic Site: December 11, 1991
Within Logan Circle and Greater Fourteenth Street Historic Districts
This site is included on the Women's Suffrage in Washington DC for its connection to the National Council of Negro Women and their efforts to make voting more accessible to Black women.
]]>Fort Dupont had six sides, each 100 feet long, protected by a deep moat and trees felled side-by-side with branches pointing outward. It was named for Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont, who commanded the naval victory at Port Royal, South Carolina, in November 1861. Although its garrison and guns never saw battle, Fort Dupont served as a lifeline of freedom. Runaway slaves found safety here before moving on to join the growing community of "contraband" in Washington. The barracks and guns are gone, but the fort's earthworks can still be traced near the picnic area on Alabama Avenue. In the 1930s, the National Capital Planning Commission acquired the old fort and surrounding land for recreation. A golf course was constructed and as the city grew, golf gave way in 1970 to the sports complex along Ely Place that now includes tennis and basketball courts, athletic fields, and a softball diamond. An indoor ice rink offers skating all winter. Where once soldiers looked out over farmlands, park visitors now grow fruits and vegetables in the community garden.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: July 15, 1974
National Register (Revised): September 13, 1978
Within Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park Historic District
]]>Construction of Fort Stanton began in September 1861 to defend the Navy Yard. By October 22, the fort was completed and platforms were laid for ten 32-pounders, though none of the guns had been received. Fort Stanton's perimeter of 322 yards was to be armed with 18 guns. A garrison of 483 men would man the fort. By February 1862, the fort was fully gunned and garrisoned by companies of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment and the 88th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Fort Stanton was named in honor of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Stanton resigned from this position in May 1868, and returned to his private practice as a lawyer. His wish to sit on the Supreme Court appeared to be fulfilled when President Grant appointed him, and the Senate confirmed him on the same day, December 20, 1868. He died four days later in Washington, D.C.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: July 15, 1974, revised September 13, 1978
Within Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park Historic District
]]>Fort Ricketts was constructed to protect the Maryland or eastern end of the two bridges crossing the Anacostia (at the Navy Yard and two and a half miles upstream at Benning's Bridge) and to occupy the heights above the Navy Yard and Washington Arsenal. Fort Ricketts was constructed after the Battle of First Manassas, when it was determined that the fortification of the entire city would be necessary. At this time, the construction of Fort Ricketts and seven other works began in order to fortify a six mile area from a narrow and contorted ridge between Oxon Run to the south and the District of Columbia boundary on the north. Fort Ricketts, in particular, was built to sweep a ravine in front of Fort Stanton that it could not cover.
Fort Ricketts was a small fort with a perimeter of 123 yards equipped with four guns requiring a garrison of 206 men (42 artillery and 164 infantry).
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks), revised June 19, 1973
National Register: July 15, 1974, revised September 13, 1978
Within Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park Historic District
]]>Built in 1765 in the then British colony of Maryland, the Old Stone House was already 59 years old when the British invaded Washington in 1814. Although, today, it is preserved for its architecture, it was originally preserved through a case of mistaken identity and a desire to remember George Washington (1732-1799). In 1791, George Washington and city planner Pierre L’Enfant (1754-1825) were surveying the newly established District of Columbia. L’Enfant’s ambitious plan for the city’s layout depended on negotiating with local landowners for right of way. During one of these meetings, Washington and L’Enfant stayed in Georgetown’s Fountain Inn at 31st and K streets, better known as Suter’s Tavern, after its owner, John Suter. Suter’s son ran a clock shop out of the Old Stone House, and although Washington had actually visited the elder Suter’s establishment, popular memory had conflated the two buildings, leading many to mistakenly believe that Washington had, in fact, stayed at the Old Stone House. Although the connection was spurious, it still inspired local residents to work to preserve the Old Stone House for years to come. By 1953, the house was the site of a car dealership when the federal government purchased the property. The National Park Service opened the house to the public in 1960. Today, the house is a rare example of pre-Revolutionary architecture. Among the House’s furnishings, you may find a clock built by one-time owner John Suter, Jr.
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: November 30, 1973
Within Georgetown Historic District
The Old Stone House is part of the Haunted History of DC Tour. For a building constructed in 1765, it’s no surprise the Old Stone House has a reputation for being haunted. Visitors frequently report experiencing cold spots or a general uneasy feeling while inside. More extreme accounts involve a malevolent spirit named George who has reportedly pushed and choked people.
]]>In July 1864, the Battle of Fort Stevens marked the defeat of Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early’s campaign to launch an offensive attack on the national capital. During the battle, 59 Union soldiers perished, while there were approximately 500 casualties on the Confederate side. After the battle, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs seized one acre of farmland to bury the dead. Under the direction of President Abraham Lincoln and General Meigs, 40 Union soldiers were buried on the evening of July 12th on the battlefield site; they were later moved to the current location of Battleground National Cemetery. The War Department maintained the cemetery until 1933, when it was transferred to the National Park Service. After the internment of a 92 year-old veteran of the Battle of Fort Stevens in 1936, the cemetery closed to any further burials. Along with Fort Stevens (also administered by the National Park Service), Battleground National Cemetery stands as a physical reminder of the most direct military threat to DC since the British invasion of 1814.
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: October 15, 1966
]]>To commemorate George Washington's leadership as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, Congress commissioned this bronze equestrian statue from sculptor Clark Mills after his successful completion of the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson located at Lafayette Square.
It depicts Washington in uniform, advancing in front of the American lines in a surprise attack on the British forces. The horse rears slightly while Washington calmly holds the reins in his right hand and his sword down at his left side. Mills based the face of Washington on the famous bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Great attention was given to the veins of the horse and the pattern of its mane and tail. The base is marble, patched with cement where it is cracked.
Acts of January 25, 1853 and February 24, 1860 appropriated $60,000 for the statue and pedestal, and it was dedicated in 1860. The statue is currently owned by the National Park Service.
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: July 14, 1978
Part of American Revolution Statuary
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