Historic Farms and Estates of Washington County

This tour explores the historic farms and estates located within former Washington County — an area outside of the original City of Washington and Georgetown (i.e., generally north of Boundary Street, now Florida Avenue, and east of the Anacostia River). Washington County, Washington City, and Georgetown were consolidated in 1871, and comprise the entirety of modern DC. Today, through these historic landmarks, remnants of a previously pastoral way of life can still be found within the bounds of the District.

This tour includes historic farmhouses, estates, mills, barns, and springhouses, as well as archaeological sites. Two of the most notable landmarks from this collection are Lincoln’s Cottage and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Built in 1842 in a wooded area north of the city, Lincoln's Cottage was originally constructed as a summer retreat for prominent banker George Washington Riggs. From 1862 to 1864, the cottage served as President Lincoln’s summer home and is most famous as the place where Lincoln authored the Emancipation Proclamation. The following decade, in 1877, Frederick Douglass purchased Cedar Hill, a hilltop residence in Anacostia that overlooks the city. Today, both historic house museums can be visited.

Another well-known rural landmark is Peirce Mill, located within Rock Creek Park at Tilden Street and Beach Drive NW. Peirce Mill was built in 1829 and was used for grinding corn, wheat, and rye. The mill was in service until 1897, when its turbine shaft broke. It is also important to note that the mill was part of the larger Peirce Plantation, which also included a springhouse and barn that you can still see today. The plantation and its owner, Isaac Peirce, relied on enslaved labor throughout the early 1800s, as DC did not abolish slavery until 1862. Thus, several of these agricultural and rural landmarks were sites of enslavement, including Kalorama Park, the former location of the John Little House.

Over time, as the city expanded north and east, these rural farms and estates were surrounded by new residential subdivisions, and most of the rural landscape was lost. However, these extant buildings and structures are a reminder of DC’s lost agricultural landscape. They are no longer country homes, estates, and farms surrounded by fields of crops, wooded forests, and rolling hills. Instead, these sites have been incorporated into the modern layout and built environment of the city, and sometimes you have to look closely within a neighborhood to notice these landmarks. Many of these landmarks have new uses, such as The Highlands and Woodley Mansion, which have been incorporated into private school campuses, and Ingleside, which serves as a nursing home.

This tour can be completed by walking, public transport, and/or car. Since the landmarks are spread out, it is advised that you map out your route to determine distance before beginning.

*This tour is based on “Lost Farms and Estates of Washington, D.C.” by Kim Prothro Williams.