Boundary Stones
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A blog about local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia.
These pages (or pixels!) seek to uncover and share some of the stories that have helped to shape our community over the years -- some serious stuff, some light stuff, some photos, and even some videos.
Boundary Stones
1w ago
The First Electric Census, Brought to You by the Hollerith Tabulator
It's the Census 2: Electric Boogaloo! In 1888, the Census Bureau stares down a mountain of data that threatens to overwhelm the capacity of its clerks. It sends a message out to the nation and receives ingenious machines that will tabulate the first electrified Census.
Isabel Sans Tue, 04/16/2024 - 21:04 ..read more
Boundary Stones
2w ago
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
Boundary Stones
3w ago
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
Boundary Stones
1M ago
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
Boundary Stones
1M ago
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
Boundary Stones
1M ago
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
Boundary Stones
1M ago
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
Boundary Stones
2M ago
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
Boundary Stones
3M ago
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
Boundary Stones
3M ago
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