History Project Updates – Hatchet Video, DC History Center Hosting, Updated DC Historic Sites Page, and More!

The GW Hatchet video team - Sophia Escobar, Eduardo Gonzalez del Valle, and Ava Thompson - recently interviewed FBA History Project co-chairs Denise Vogt and Frank Leone about “The History of GW's Land Development.” You can see the video here. Frank and Denise explain the history of GW expansion and the stories of the Waggaman House (former Nashman Center office) and Staughton Hall, 100 year old plus buildings that GW demolished in recent years. The video also features students who suggested that the urban campus of GW could use more “green space.” The GW Campus Plan, however, provides for filling these entire sites with buildings – so the green space is temporary.

Washington Circle in the 1950s, showing street cars around the circle, the old GW Hospital, and the Waggaman and adjoining rowhouses at 22nd and I streets  (GWU Gelman Library, Special Collections)

 In case you haven’t heard, the DC History Center (formerly the D.C. Historical Society) recently announced that it has agreed to host our Foggy Bottom Historic District House History Map. The History Center will provide a home for the licensed software program that powers the Map and DC History will provide links from their Digital Resources, Resources/Neighborhood Research, and Teaching DC History/Foggy Bottom pages. (Frank and Denise are DC History Center Community Council Foggy Bottom liaisons.) The D.C. Historic Preservation Office also now provides a link to the House History Map. You can do your own research and contribute information to the project!

We also recently worked with the D.C. Preservation League to improve the Foggy Bottom Historic District “Historic Sites” page to update the text, add links to the FBA History Project, and add recent pictures. Check it out here. We also made a well-received presentation on February 7, 2024 to the League’s Landmarks Committee about the History Project and our House History Map. (Frank is a member of the League’s Landmarks and Historic District Committees.)

Finally, tune in GW Museum’s DC Mondays on March 4, 2024 for architectural historian Allison (Kim) Hoagland’s talk on D.C. Row houses, here. Her excellent new book spotlights Foggy Bottom’s own Square 28 (which contains Snows Court) and was reviewed in a recent Funkstown. Also check out architectural historian Kim William’s February 5, 2024 discussion on DC Mondays of her new book on D.C. alleys, here (which also discusses Snows Court).