The author of the popular blog "The Streets of Washington" shares new vignettes and reader favorites exploring the colorful history of America's capitol.In Lost Washington, D.C., John DeFerrari investigates the bygone institutions and local haunts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Washington may seem eternal and unchanging with its grand avenues and stately monuments, but longtime locals and earlier generations knew a very different place....

Washington's first streetcars trundled down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Civil War. By the end of the century, streetcar lines crisscrossed the city, expanding it into the suburbs and defining where Washingtonians lived, worked and played. One of the most beloved routes was the scenic Cabin John line to the amusement park in Glen Echo, Maryland. From the quaint early days of small horse-drawn cars to the modern "streamliners" of the twentieth century, the stories are all here. Join autho...

Discover the culinary heritage of America's capitol with this guide to Washington, D.C.'s historic restaurants and storied local eateries.While today's foodies enjoy the latest culinary trends of Logan Circle and the H Street corridor, Washington's first true restaurants opened around 1830. Waves of immigrants introduced a global mix of ingredients to the capital's eager palates by opening eateries like the venerable China Doll Gourmet and Cleveland Park's Roma Res...

A richly illustrated architectural “biography” of one of DC’s most important boulevardsSixteenth Street NW in Washington, DC, has been called the Avenue of the Presidents, Executive Avenue, and the Avenue of Churches. From the front door of the White House, this north-south artery runs through the middle of the District and extends just past its border with Maryland. The street is as central to the cityscape as it is to DC’s history and culture.In Sixteenth Street NW: Washi...

A unique look at Washington's landmark hotels and its cultural historyAny large city's marquee hotels are a great barometer of its social and cultural life. Washington DC, is exceptional in this regard, because visitors—from officials, diplomats, and lobbyists to everyday tourists—are so critical to the city's essential purpose as the nation's capital. The city's hotels have also been residences for locals and have served as important social centers, hosting events...

During the Gilded Age, Dupont Circle was Washington's undisputed center of wealth, power and status. Over twenty years, it evolved from small farms and an overrun city cemetery to a community of grand homes for society's elite. Residents included future president William Taft, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, newspaper publisher Cissy Patterson and many more. From the intimate dinners and receptions of the Cave Dwellers to the lavish balls of Mary Townsend and others in the "smart set," Dup...