The DC Traveler » DC-history

John Phillips Sousa Tribute and Historical Cemetery Walk – Nov. 6

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:36:08 +0000

The United States Marine Band will honor its most famous leader, American march composer, John Phillips Sousa, in a memorial morning concert at Congressional Cemetery. This free concert will pay tribute on the 152nd anniversary of his birth.

The U.S. Marine Band was formed by Act of Congress during the presidency of John Adams in 1798 and has performed for every Presidential Inauguration since Thomas Jefferson’s.

Sousa took over the as the 17th leader of the U.S. Marine Band in 1880. During his years as bandleader, he embarked on the first of many national tours where they introduced the nation to the numerous patriotic and now famous marches he composed. Some of his most notable marches include The Stars And Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis (the Marine Corps Hymn) and The Washington Post, which ironically he was paid only $35 for writing, while the music publisher made a small fortune.

Besides his noteworthy musical talents, Sousa also wrote five novels and was considered a champion-caliber horseman and a world-class trap shooter.

The site of the concert, Congressional Cemetery, has been in existence since 1807. Eighty Members of Congress (19 Senators and 71 Representatives) are laid to rest plus another 120 Members have memorials in the cemetery.

Their graves are marked by unique sandstone cenotaphs (or empty graves). Additionally, soldiers from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican and U.S. Civil Wars along with Indian chiefs, diplomats and other noteworthy and common people are laid to rest at Congressional.

Some of the more famous people buried at Congressional, include:

- Elbridge Gerry – Declaration of Independence signer

- J. Edgar Hoover – First Director of the FBI

- John Phillips Sousa – composer

- Mathew Brady – Civil War Photojournalist – The portrait of Lincoln on the $5 bill was taken from one of his photos.

- Belva Lockwood – Female Presidential candidate who was nominated in 1884 by the National Equal Rights Party. She received 4,000 votes, all from men because at that time, women could not vote.

- Push-ma-ta-ha – Choctaw Indian Chief

- Dr. William Thornton – Designer of the U.S. Capitol

- Anne Royall – Congressional reporter who was reportedly such an aggressive reporter, that Members of Congress crossed the street just to avoid her questions.

- Able Upshur – Secretary of State who was killed during a Presidential VIP Potomac River cruise on the USS Princeton when one of the ship’s guns exploded.

Admission is free. Self-guided walks are encouraged. Look for walking tour maps in the mail box, just inside the mail gate.

Congressional Cemetery
1801 E Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003

Date
Monday, November 6, 10:00 a.m. The band may start a bit later.

Hours
Cemetery hours daily 10:00 a.m. until dusk.

Parking
Free public parking is available on the E St and Potomac Ave side of the cemetery.

Post from: The DC Traveler

The Old Stone House

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 19:47:59 +0000

In the heart of Georgetown, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of retail shops, offices and restaurants, is The Old Stone House. It’s the oldest building on its original site in Washington DC.

The Old Stone House is an excellent example of pre-Revolutionary Vernacular architecture. Built in 1765 before the District was even planned as the nation’s capital; it reflects an early-American middle-class home and cabinetmaker’s workshop.

Before being purchased by the Federal government in 1953, it housed among other things, a paint store, a clock store, a haberdashery, a tavern (perhaps) and even a used car sales office.

Now furnished with period furniture, the home echoes a slice of 18th century colonial life.

Persistent rumors that George Washington used the building as his office when he was determining the site of the new Federal City and that Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant used it as the Engineering Office when designing the city’s layout have never been proven. Yet perhaps… Washington may in fact have slept here!

Now managed by the National Park Service, it is open for free tours Wednesday through Sunday, Noon – 5:00 p.m. The bookstore is open daily from Noon – 5:00 p.m. And the English-style garden is open for self-tours every day during daylight hours. Simply enter through the M Street gate.

The Old Stone House
3051 M Street, NW, Washington, DC (1½ blocks east of Wisconsin Ave., between 30th and 31st Streets, NW)

Nearest Metro station: Foggy Bottom – Blue/Orange Line (about 0.8 miles) and Dupont Circle – Red Line (about 1.1 miles)

From the National Mall area or downtown, take the DC Circulator – Georgetown-Union Station route to M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, NW.

Photo Credits: Photo 1: flickr, Photo 2: flickr

Post from: The DC Traveler

Getting Around DC – Part 2 – Driving in the District – Street Layout

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:23:59 +0000

Washington DC can initially be a confusing place to get around in on foot or by car. Understanding the basic framework of streets, avenues and circles can make traveling in DC significantly easier.

It’s rumored that the city’s primary planner, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, designed the city to confuse potential invaders. Well, he probably succeeded in confusing at least a good portion of the tourists some 200 years later. Once you understand the city’s grid, numbering and street naming system, getting around is fairly easy. Besides, if you’re planning on invading…you’ll first need a government permit.

General City Layout
Washington DC is a city divided into of four sections consisting of Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest quadrants. Streets are laid out in a basic grid pattern. And all addresses are designated with their quadrant: NW, NE, SE, and SW.

How the Street and Avenue Numbering System Works
Numbered streets (1st, 2nd, 3rd Street, etc.) run north-south while lettered streets (A, B, C Street, etc.) run east-west. After all the letters were used, street names are generally words or names named in alphabetical order, starting with double syllables, then triple syllables, then four syllables as you progress further from the city’s center. So streets such as Davis and Garfield Streets are closer to the city’s center than are Appleton and Patterson Street. There are of course a few exceptions, but you can find most destinations using this system.

The numbering and lettering system begins at The Capitol Building and works out in all four directions. So, for example, 3rd Street is the third street from The Capitol – in all directions. This is where it can get a bit confusing, as there are many cases, four similarly named intersections, such as 4th and D Streets NW, SW, NE and SE. So to make sure you are where you need to be, pay close attention to the suffix or designation after an address. Fail to pay attention and you could end up blocks from your intended destination.

Avenues
Avenues run at diagonals across the city. They are named after the states – New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin Avenue, etc. They can be fast cross-city short-cuts.

Traffic Circles
Although the urban legend about the car full of tourists that arrived in DC in 1997 and are still stuck circling Dupont Circle trying to find a way out is grossly exaggerated; DC’s traffic circles can be a bit confusing.

There are at least ten major DC intersections with circles, all with several streets and avenues converging, such as Dupont Circle and Logan Circle. When driving through a circle, pay close attention to traffic lights, traffic flow and signs. And remember, the street you are driving on may not continue exactly on the opposite side of the circle. It may continue off at a different angle, or worse not at all.

The most famous circle, Dupont Circle, was even mentioned in the movie, The American President with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. In the film, the President’s girl friend is late getting to the White House and the President asks her if she got stuck on Dupont Circle yet again. She replies by asking the President “Can’t you declare it a Federal Disaster Area or something?” It’s understandable how someone could get confused as Dupont Circle intersects five roads (10 spokes) and includes an inner and outer ring, multiple traffic signals, plus an underpass. Perhaps that rumor about the trapped tourists is not quite so exaggerated!!!

One-Way Streets
Many of DC’s streets are one-way, so it’s wise to pay attention. A few streets, especially near The Capitol Building, the Mall and in parts of downtown may be one-way in one direction in the morning, the other direction in the evening and two ways at all other times. Again, watch for Do Not Enter signs and check the sign for specific hours. When in doubt, it’s usually safe to just follow the traffic flow.

It’s smart to carry a quality map of the National Mall and downtown areas as well as the suburban area. My favorite map is a laminated city & metro area map by CitySlicker ($7.95). It also includes a Metro subway map, descriptions of major points of interest, a street guide and other valuable information. Plus, it’s easy to fold. Just click on the map to order it from Amazon.

For a bit of additional info on DC’s original design plan, check out my earlier post.

Post from: The DC Traveler

Getting Around DC – Part 1 – A Bit of DC History

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:27:44 +0000

First, I’d like to start with a bit of history about the original layout and design of Washington DC.

As the new federal capital was being planned in the early 1790s, U.S. Army Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant, urban planner and architect, was appointed by George Washington to design the initial street plan of a Capitol or Federal City – now called Washington DC.

He previously served on General Washington’s staff as well as with him at Valley Forge during the infamous winter of the American Revoliution in 1777-8. He was later promoted to Major in the Corp of Engineers in 1783 due to some rather noteworth accomplishments in building and design.

Washington appointed L’Enfant to turn the rolling plantation lands, woods and swampy areas which were then part of Virginai and Maryland into the Federal City. L’Enfant’s concept was to design a city that allowed for growth of the capital as the nation grew. He planned for a rather grand main 400 foot wide street connecting The Capitol and The White House with ample space for expansion (now The Mall). Thomas Jefferson however reportedly preferred a smaller, less grand city plan, with traditional narrow streets.

L’Enfant’s initial plans were approved but opposition started almost immediately (some things never seem to change). City commissioners wanted to initially build only part of the city and spend some of the limited budget on government buildings as well, in lieu of streets while L’Enfant wanted to build the entire city’s infrastructure.

He stuck to his plan and was became so inflexible and uncompromising that he was eventually fired by President Washington and forced to leave the project in disgrace, and also unpaid.

Ultimately, his plan was only partially completed and L’Enfant spent much of his remaining life unsuccessfully petitioning Congress to pay him for the work he had done to design and build the District. He died in poverty in 1825.

In 1909, almost 80 years after his death, the Senate Park Commission, the government body responsible for beautifying the city recognized the brilliance of L’Enfant’s plan calling it “intelligent and yet simple and straightforward scheme.” The same year, his grave was relocated from Maryland to a place of prominence in Arlington National Cemetery.

Today, his accomplishments in designing the layout of Washington DC are recognized and acknowledged by modern urban planners

Post from: The DC Traveler