Images of America: Capitol Hill

Images of America: Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill celebrates one of the largest historic districts in the nation and a neighborhood rich in history that shaped a nation and the world. Beginning as a port area on the high plateau near the deep waters of the Anacostia River, Capitol Hill was largely shaped by the early residential development near the Navy Yard. Later home to middle class workers in the late 19th century, Capitol Hill is now one of Washington's most elite neighborhoods.

While the name of the current neighborhood derives its name from the proximity to the United States Capitol, it is actually is not located on a hill. Situated on the highest point of land between the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, Capitol Hill began as a small cluster of homes located at First and Second streets along New Jersey Avenue, S.E. around 1800. Few Congressmen preferred to establish permanent residence in the city during the early years of the Republic and choose instead to rent rooms in one of the numerous boarding houses located within walking distance of the Capitol. The neighborhood also was home to hospitals and boarding houses during the Civil War.

The area now known as the Capitol Hill Historic District was primarily built up in the 1880s and 1890s for speculative housing on a more modest scale, but now the neighborhood is primarily an elite neighborhood with more senators and congressmen residing there than any other neighborhood. This volume contains more than 200 images of these prominent homes and noteworthy points of national interest, including Union Station, the Navy Yard, Eastern Market and the B&O Railroad Co.