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Scenes from the Past

Kelsey & Associates Principal, Paul K. Williams, has served as a contributing writer on historic preservation and history for the Washington, DC monthly newspaper The InTowner since 1995. In addition, since April of 2001, Williams has contributed a major monthly feature entitled Scenes from the Past which reveals thematic historical stories about the many of the buildings, people, and places in Washington's neighborhoods.

If you are curious about the exact locations of the Scenes, check out this map >>.

Please feel free to browse the titles by year and download them for your reading pleasure:

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Note: Articles are in pdf format and file sizes range from 100kb to 5mb.

2008

April: Developer Frances Blundon and his house at 100 W Street, NW
March: Philetus Sawyer mansion at Connecticut Ave. and R Street, NW
February: A Miller Family Love Triangle and the 1944 Murder of Dr. John Lind
January: The Church of the Covenant at 18th and N Streets, 1888 Tower Collapse

2007

December: George Kozel & Fredrick Geyer's German Beer Garden
November: Amzi L. Barber's Columbia Heights mansion 'Belmont'
October: Club Bali at 1901 14th Street
September: The Cairo Apartment Building: Inspiration and Original Interiors
August: 1757 Q Street, Bradbury Piano's, and William P. Van Wickle
July: The Lindens, 2401 Kalorama Road, built 1754
June: Poet Joaquin Miller's Log Cabin in Meridian Hill & Rock Creek Parks
May: Albert S. Gillett House at 1614 20th Street
April: William M. Shuster III, The country of Iran, and 1832 16th Street, NW
March: The Beginnings of the Lanier Heights subdivision
February: Thomas Circle Home of Charles B. Boynton, Howard Univ. 1st Pres.
January: Washington Post, Fairmount School & Watkins Mans. at 1711 MA Ave.

2006

December: Arch. Frank White's Ambassador & St. Mihiel Apt. Bldgs., 16th Street 
November: The Winder Building and the Civil War Signal Corps
October: Edson Bradley Mans., Old Crow Whiskey, early TV soap Dark Shadows
September: Judd & Detweilder Printing Plant, today's XM Satellite Radio HQ
August: Zalmon Richards and 1301 Corcoran Street
July: First African New Church, 10th and V Street, NW
June: 1514 R Street, Jacob Fussell, and the manufacture of Ice Cream
May: Bancroft Place and architect Waddy Butler Wood
April: 16th & U: Paige-Jewett Auto showroom, National Radio Institute, &
Pride, Inc.
March: The Italian Embassy at 2700 16th Street, NW
February: The Randolph Apartment Building & architect Joseph Younger
Janurary: The Mayflower Hotel and George Dasch, German spy & guest in 1942

2005

December: The Envoy Apartment Building, 2400 16th Street
November: Seth Ledyard Phelps and 15 Logan Circle
October: 52 O Street & Decca Records
September: The Old Central High School at 7th and O Street, NW
August: Brewer Robert Portner and the Portner Flats Hotel & Apartments
July: Eckington Neighborhood Garden Tour, 1906
June: George P. Robinson Realty Company and 2942 Ordway Street, NW
May: Buffalo (Q Street) Bridge, Dupont Circle
April: The Bizarre & Unusual Will of Robert St. George Dyrenforth
March: The Chastleton Apartment Building, 16th and R Streets
February: Luray Apt. 1320 R St, Mutual Housing Co. & Arthur W. Mitchell
January: Federal, Smith, and Security Storage facilities along U Street

2004

December: The Hall of the Ancients and the Capitol Garage, 1320 NY Avenue
November: McMillan Reservoir and Slow Sand Filtration Site
October: Orrin G. Staples, the Willard Hotel, and 1825 Columbia Road
September: Stead Park, 1600 Block of P Street, NW
August: Washington's Historic Gamewell Police and Fire Call Boxes
July: Dr. Westanna O. I. Byrum, African American Dentist, 1329 R Street, NW
June: The Arcadia Amusement center, 14th and Park Road, Columbia Heights
May: Wilhelm Schmidt Grocery Store, 18th and S Streets, NW
April: Firenze House, north Cleveland Park, Forest Hills DC
March: Dupont Circle Fountain & Reservation History
February: Lucy Diggs Slowe Hall, Howard University, LeDroit Park
January: Gallaudet University history, 6th and Florida Avenue, NE

2003

December: History of Gunston Hall School at 19th and Florida Ave
November: US Weather Bureau at 24th and M Streets
October: John Burrough's House and Catholic Cemetery along U Street
September: The Hill House, Colombia Heights
August: Fire of Clifton Estate
July: Hahnemann Memorial
June: Dupont Circle: Neglected Neighborhood
May: Schneider Mansion
April: The National Zoo
March: Wardman Park Hotel and Towers
February: 2100 Block of R Street, NW in 1887
January: Thyson House at 7th and P Street, NW

2002

December: Maret School, Kalorama Triangle
November: Knickerbocker Arena
October: Hay-Adams Hotel
September: Northminster Presbyterian Church
August: Washington Hospital for Foundling
July: Seaton Street
June: Hines Company
May: Privies
April: Griffith Stadium
March: Garfield Hospital on Florida Avenue
February: Children's Hospital of Washington
January: Wylie Mansion/International Inn

2001

December: Anna Julia Cooper
November: Columbia Heights
October: D.C. on Alert
September: Annie Cole House
August: Red Scare in D.C.
June: Rock Creek
May: Origins of DuPont Circle
April: Logan Circle Apartment Building

Scenes from the Past, Copyright (c) 2001-2008 InTowner Publishing Corp. & Paul Kelsey Williams. All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.