Was D.C. Prepared for Nuclear War? Walking through DC, you may notice faded fallout shelter signs marking buildings.  They are some of the last clues of a historic past when the federal government designated thousands of shelters throughout DC to save Washingtonians from a nuclear apocalypse. But would they have worked? Casey Ruken Thu, 04/11/2024 - 21:50 ..read more

Eyesores or Icons? A History of Washington's Brutalist Buildings You know Neoclassical architecture.  But do you know why Brutalism came to D.C.?  Discover how a time of changing architectural styles paved the way for Brutalism to dominate D.C.'s federal buildings.    Casey Ruken Thu, 04/04/2024 - 22:00 ..read more

Pioneering D.C. Artist Inez Demonet Helped WWI Soldiers Put Their Lives Back Together Washington based artist Inez M. Demonet specialized in etchings and watercolors of District landmarks and people, but she spent most of her time in an office at the National Institute of Health, where she worked as a medical illustrator. Her pioneering work during World War I helped educate doctors and public health professionals, and even helped repair the lives of soldiers returning from World War I. It was not a job for the faint of heart. Katherine Brodt Fri, 03/29/2024 - 10:08 ..read more

In 1969, Vince Lombardi Brought Winning and Inclusivity to Washington Vince Lombardi wasn’t planning to continue coaching after he resigned as head coach with the Green Bay Packers. Instead, he was going to get away from that stress-filled lifestyle and move into a general manager position with the Packers. “I’m still a young man, but I doubt I would ever go back to coaching,” Lombardi said when he moved to the front office after the 1967 season. After just a year as general manager, he found himself longing to be on the sidelines again. “I’m certainly getting a little itchy,” Lombardi admitt ..read more

Anna Julia Cooper’s Courageous Revolt: The History Behind ‘Tempestuous Elements’ at Arena Stage An unsung hero from D.C. history has received a much-deserved spotlight in Tempestuous Elements, a new play at Arena Stage about visionary educator Anna Julia Cooper. We spoke to two of the people who helped bring the history to life: Otis Ramsey-Zöe, the play’s dramaturg, and Vanessa Dalpiaz, Arena Stage’s Artistic Development Fellow. Otis and Vanessa walk us through notable moments from Dr. Cooper’s life and discuss her legacy in D.C. Emma O'Neill-Dietel Thu, 03/14/2024 - 08:17 ..read more

In the 1960s, Prison Chaplains Created a Star Studded Music Festival at Lorton Reformatory In the 1960s, the D.C. area's most exclusive music scene may not have been in the city's downtown clubs. It may have been behind prison walls at Lorton Reformatory. Year after year, jazz royalty including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and others came to Lorton and gave free concerts for inmates. The brainchild of two prison chaplains, the Lorton Jazz Festival was more than just entertainment. As co-organizer, Father Carl Breitfeller put it, “Jazz is a definite art form and an aid to rehabi ..read more

Did the Underground Railroad Run Through Georgetown? The Underground Railroad has deeper ties to the Washington DC area than many know. Escaped slaves are believed to have used the burial vault at Mount Zion Cemetery in Georgetown as a hiding place during their journey to freedom. Sarah Kim Fri, 02/16/2024 - 08:30 ..read more

Langston Hughes: D.C.’s Original Busboy-Poet One of D.C.’s most popular eateries is Busboys and Poets, a bookstore-cafe with locations all over the city. The name honors one busboy-poet in particular who has surprising ties to D.C.: Langston Hughes.   Emma O'Neill-Dietel Thu, 02/01/2024 - 22:35 ..read more

How Maryland Got Its Name... And Might Have Sent It Back to England In the U.S., we’re used to seeing recycled British names. It often feels a little anticlimactic to learn that a British colonist simply lifted the name of their hometown—Kensington, Cambridge, Salisbury, Westminster, Essex, Arlington, the list goes on—and slapped it onto whatever colony, town, or road they wanted to claim. However, the state of Maryland may be able to claim a rare distinction: lending its name to a location in Great Britain, not vice versa. Katherine Brodt Fri, 01/19/2024 - 10:14 ..read more

The DMV's Worst Natural Disaster: The Chesapeake Bay Asteroid You might think today is rough, but if people lived in the DMV 35 million years ago, they would have faced a cosmic apocalypse in their very own backyards. Casey Ruken Fri, 01/05/2024 - 08:36 ..read more